---

Helicopter UH-1H 64-13554

---

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 64-13554

The Army purchased this helicopter 0265
Total flight hours at this point: 00001872
Date: 05/07/1967
Accident case number: 670507051
Unit: 155 AHC
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO THEATER
This was an Unknown mission
While Enroute this helicopter was Unknown at 1500 feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (14.5MM)
The helicopter was hit in the Equipment Section
Systems damaged were: UNK
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
The helicopter made a Forced Landing. Aircraft is later recovered by any means other than its own power.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated costing 114414
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: UH1P2, 72644, Paul Fadz ()
Summary: Felt something hit the ship, then lost power. Autorotated and tail boom was heavily damaged during the forced landing. No one was hurt.

Crew Members:
AC O2 Pullum DM
P W1 Muldoon RE
CE E4 Fadz PR
G E3 Evans EJ

Accident Summary:
In flight at 1,500 feet, one bolt securing the coupler clamp at the engine output shaft failed. Suspect
FOD to the engine by ingesting the bolt. The pilot autorotated to a bushy area and severed 6 foot of the tail boom on landing.
Analysis revealed that the threads of the nut were stripped. Suspect the nut was overtorqued during installation

War Story:

554 was the oldest ship in the company at this time. Its hydraulic system and several other components were different from the newer
ships we had. I had a hard time getting parts and spent some time at Pleiku's junk yard. We weren't supposed to take
part from the wrecks there because most of them had experience sudden stoppages, but it was either that or wecouldn’t fly that ship.
554 had several leaks and we always had power problems. On this day we had been doing troop movements all day long. For some time now
I had been tape recording our missions. I had a reel to reel recorder positioned in a spare flight helmet. We were flying in the
north - maybe in the Dak To area. We were returning empty when we may have taken a hit. I believe I felt something hit the ship because
it lurched and then lost power. We went into an autorotation and touched down in a muddy area. The tail boom hit first and was really bent.
No one was hurt. I jumped out of the helicopter and made certain I had my tape recorder. We moved a short distance from the ship.
We were basically in the open and I wasn't thinking all that clearly. One of the pilots asked if I was going to get my M-60, you know,
in case the bad guys started acting up. Suddenly reality hit me and I said to myself - machine gun, good idea! We weren’t on the ground
more than five minutes before someone retrieved us. 554 was hooked out. I remember seeing it in the Pleiku junk yard. I still have the
tape recordings! Contributed by Paul R. Fadz, Nov 1996. VHPA note: Huey 64-13554 was rebuilt because the records show it served with the
134th and was finally destroyed on 25 May 1972 while serving with the 61st AHC
This record was last updated on 11/22/1996

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 64-13554
The Army purchased this helicopter 0265
Total flight hours at this point: 00003288
Date: 10/13/1971
Accident case number: 711013031
Unit: 134 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Tuy Hoa in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 6000
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.

Crew Members:
AC W1 Staunton RH

Accident Summary:
During approach to LZ Main Rotor blades made contact with a tree.\\

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 64-13554
The Army purchased this helicopter 0265
Total flight hours at this point: 00003635
Date: 05/25/1972
Incident number: 72052525.KIA
Unit: 57 AHC
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: ZA237896
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
AC 1LT FARRIS GARY BRUCE KIA
This record was last updated on 05/25/1998
The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: 1LT Gary Bruce Farris
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 05/25/1972 while performing the duty of Aircraft Commander.
Age at death: 23.3
Date of Birth: 01/18/1949
Home City: Shawnee, OK
Service: SC branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 57 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 71-40
Service: SC branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 01W-032
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 64-13554
SSN: 446467099
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: vehicular accident
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: co-pilot
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 02/17/1972
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: no previous report
Length of service: *
Location: Kontum Province II Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: ZA235893
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Methodist (Evangelical United Brethren)
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer This record was last updated on 11/09/1997

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 64-13554
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 0265.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.