. WHILE HOVERING DOWN ON APPROACH, MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK A TREE.\\
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 69-15347
The Army purchased this helicopter 0470
Total flight hours at this point: 00000811
Date: 05/09/1971
Accident case number: 710509061
Unit: 114 AHC
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 3 . . Passengers = 6
costing 101271
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W2 BATCHELOR RW
P X1 LAM NS
CE E4 TERRY RG
G E4 SCHMIDT LD
Passengers:
.
E7 HOLLAND, PAX, D;
E7 CRIBULAR, PAX, D;
E7 R CUMMINGS, PAX, G;
E7 SALAZAR, PAX, G;
X2 UNK, PAX, G;
X2 UNK, PAX, G;
Accident Summary:
. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER AND THE PILOT WERE FLYING A SERVICE MISSION IN CHAU DUC PROVINCE, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM. AFTER FLYING NEARLY FIVE HOURS, THE CREW PICKED UP SIX PASSENGERS, FOUR AMERICANS AND TWO ARVN. THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT WAS TO BE FROM CHI LANG TO SADEC TO DROP OFF THE PASSENGERS, AND THEN TO VINH LONG FOR TERMINATION OF THE MISSION. THE TAKE OFF WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH APPROXIMATELY 800-900 LBS. OF FUEL. THE TAKEOFF WAS UNEVENTFUL, AND THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED TO CLIMB OUT FROM CHI LANG ON A NORTHEASTERLY COURSE. AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEET THE CREW HEARD A SINGLE EXPLOSION, DESCRIBED AS A LOUD POP FROM THE TRANSMISSION OR THE ENGINE AREA. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SHUDDERED AND DROPPED SLIGHTLY. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE POWER-ON DESCENT, AND TRANSMITTED A MAYDAY ON GUARD. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER CALLED THAT THEY WERE TWO MILES EAST OF CHI LANG, NEXT TO A MAJOR CANAL. THE CALL WAS REPEATED ONCE AND SEVERAL AIRCRAFT RESPONDED. AFTER INITIATING THE DESCENT THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER NOTICED A LOUD SCREAMING NOISE FROM THE TRANSMISSION AREA THAT WAS INCREASING RAPIDLY IN INTENSITY. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER DID NOT GET SPECIFIC READINGS FROM THE INSTRUMENTS, BUT WAS CERTAIN THAT THE ENGINE RPM WAS NORMAL. AT 500-700 FEET, THE SCREAMING NOISE REACHED SUCH AN INTENSITY THAT THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER DECIDED TO SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND ENTER AUTOROTATION. AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY OVER A MAJOR CANAL, AND THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER CHOSE AS HIS TOUCHDOWN POINT AN OPEN AREA DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HEADING GENERALLY EAST. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER ROLLED THE THROTTLE TO THE CLOSED POSITION AND SHUT OFF THE FUEL. THE AUTOROTATION WAS INITIATED, AND PROCEEDED NORMALLY. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER NOTICED BEFORE HE INITIATED HIS DECELARATION THAT THE TOUCHDOWN AREA WAS A ROUGH, HARD, PLOWED FIELD. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT HE DECIDED TO ATTEMPT A ZERO GROUND RUN TYPE AUTOROTATION. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER INITIATED AN ABRUPT DECELERATION, AND ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT. AT APPROXIMATELY 8-10 FEET HE RAN OUT OF PITCH AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND WITH LITTLE FORWARD VELOCITY AND A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED HARD AND IN AN APPROXIMATELY LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE RIGHT SKID COLLAPSED AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK THE GROUND 2-4 TIMES, AND REMAINED RELATIVELY INTACT DUE TO EXTREMELY LOW ROTOR RPM. THERE WAS NO FIRE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE FUEL TANKS WERE NOT RUPTURED AND THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN. ALL CREWMEMBERS AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT DIFFICULTY, THOUGH THREE PERSONS SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. AN AIRCRAFT ARRIVED WITHIN FIVE MINUTES, AND THE CREW AND AIRCRAFT WERE SECURED WITHOUT INCIDENT.\\
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 69-15347
It is provided here as an ESTIMATE of the history of this helicopter
and is not intended to be the final authority.
This helicopter was purchased by the US Army in 0470.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 7004 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 7005 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 7006 22 22 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7007 67 89 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7008 67 156 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7009 55 211 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7010 83 294 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7011 119 413 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7012 111 524 WAX7AA 114 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7101 70 594 WAX7AA 114 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7102 87 681 WAX7AA 114 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7103 68 749 WAX7AA 114 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7104 62 811 WAX7AA 114 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7105 0 811 W0Y6AA AVSCOM FLT DET 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AVSCOM 7106 0 811 W0Y6AA AVSCOM FLT DET 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AVSCOM 7107 0 811 W0MCAA DIR DIST TRANS IN MAINT RED RIVER AD AVSCOM 7108 0 811 W0MCAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7109 0 811 W0MCAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7110 0 811 W0MCAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7111 0 811 W0MCAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7112 0 811 W0MCAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7201 0 811 W2WJAA BEL HEL BAILMENT FT WORTH AVSCOM 7202 0 811 W2WJAA BEL HEL BAILMENT FT WORTH AVSCOM 7203 0 811 W2WJAA BEL HEL BAILMENT FT WORTH AVSCOM 7204 0 811 W2WJAA BEL HEL BAILMENT FT WORTH AVSCOM 7205 5 816 W2WJAA BEL HEL BAILMENT FT WORTH AVSCOM 7206 0 816 W2WJAA BEL HEL BAILMENT FT WORTH AVSCOM 7207 0 816 W2WJAA BEL HEL BAILMENT FT WORTH AVSCOM 7208 1 817 WAY8AA 3RD ARM CAL REG 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS 5TH ARMY 7209 0 817 WAY8AA 3RD ARM CAL REG 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS 5TH ARMY 7210 14 831 WAY8AA 3RD ARM CAL REG 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS 5TH ARMY 7211 1 832 WAY8AA 3RD ARM CAL REG 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS 5TH ARMY 7212 37 869 WAY8AA 3RD ARM CAL REG 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS 5TH ARMY 7301 27 896 WAY8AA 3RD ARM CAL REG 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS 5TH ARMY 7302 0 896 WAY8AA 3RD ARM CAL REG 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS 5TH ARMY 7303 0 896 WAY8AA 3RD ARM CAL REG 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS 5TH ARMY 7304 5 901 WAY8AA 3RD ARM CAL REG 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS 5TH ARMY 7305 35 936 WAY8AA 3RD ARM CAV REG 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS 5TH ARMY 7306 26 962 WAY8AA 3RD ARM CAV REG 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS 5TH ARMY 7307 11 973 WAY8AA IIIRD ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7308 27 1000 WAY8AA IIIRD ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7309 38 1038 WAY8FF III ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7310 10 1048 WAY8FF III ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7311 7 1055 WAY8FF III ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7312 4 1059 WAY8FF III ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7401 7 1066 WAY8FF III ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7402 37 1103 WAY8FF III ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7403 13 1116 WAY8FF III ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7404 13 1129 WAY8FF III ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7405 40 1169 WAY8FF III ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7409 28 1241 WAY8FF III ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7410 23 1264 WAY8FF III ACR 5TH ARMY FORT BLISS FORSCOM 7411 0 1264 W0MUAA US ARMY DEPOT IN MAINT CORPUS CHRISTI AVSCOM 7412 0 1264 W0MUAA US ARMY DEPOT IN MAINT CORPUS CHRISTI AVSCOM 7501 0 1264 W0MUAA US ARMY DEPOT AWTG DISP CORPUS CHRISTI AVSCOM 7502 0 1264 W0MUAA DIR OF SUPPLY IN TRANSIT CORPUS CH AD AVSCOM 7503 0 1264 W0MUAA DIR OF SUPPLY IN MAINT CORPUS CH AD AVSCOM 7504 0 1264 W0MUAA DIR OF SUPPLY IN MAINT CORPUS CH AD AVSCOM 7505 3 1267 W0MUAA DIR OF SUPPLY IN MAINT CORPUS CH AD AVSCOM 7506 41 1308 WQNST0 NAT GUARD NAT GDZI 7507 18 1326 WQNST0 NAT GUARD NAT GDZI 7509 24 1367 WQNST0 NAT GUARD NAT GDZI 7510 24 1391 WQNST0 NAT GUARD NAT GDZI 7511 50 1441 WQNST0 NAT GUARD NAT GDZI 7512 24 1465 WQNST0 NAT GUARD NAT GDZI
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