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Helicopter UH-1H 66-16385

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Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16385

The Army purchased this helicopter 0567
Total flight hours at this point: 00000939
Date: 09/10/1968
Accident case number: 680910101
Unit: 335^th AHC
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 5555
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.

Crew Members:
P W1 WITT B

Accident Summary: The aircraft was caught in the rotor wash of the ship in front. PSP blew up and caught the skids causing incident damage

This record was last updated on 04/29/1997

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16385
The Army purchased this helicopter 0567
Total flight hours at this point: 00003800
Date: 08/03/1972
Accident case number: 720803011
Unit: 62^nd AHC
The station for this helicopter was Da Nang in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 3
costing 58045
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.

Crew Members:
P O3 BATTLE W
CP W1 LACHEY WG
CE E4 NELSON HT
G E3 DAVIS MO

Passengers:
X1 N DUY, PAX, G;
X1 N CHANHBINH, PAX, G;
O6 CB MCCOID, PAX, G;

Accident Summary:

ON 3 AUG 72, CPT WINGATE BATTLE III WAS ASSIGNED AS PILOT-IN-CHARGE OF ARMY HELICOPTER 66-16385. HIS CREW CONSISTED OF HIS CO-PILOT, WO1 WILLIAM C. LACHEY, CREW CHIEF, SP4 HARRIS T. NELSON, AND DOORGUNNER, PFC MICHAEL O. DAVIS. THE AIRCRAFT STATUS WAS A CIRCLED RED-X RESTRICTING THE AIRCRAFT FROM SLING LOADS. THE MISSION WAS A COMMAND AND CONTROL MISSION IN SUPPORT OF THE 3RD ARVN DIVISION COMMANDER. CPT BATTLE AND WO1 LACHEY PREFLIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT AND DEPARTED ON THE MISSION AT 0815 HOURS AND ARRIVED AT THE PICK UP POINT, LZ400, AT 0830 HRS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN AND A FM CONSOLE AND ANTENNA WAS INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT. AT THIS TIME 3 PASSENGERS ARRIVED AND INSTRUCTED THE CREW TO TAKE THEM TO A FIREBASE 1 MILE EAST OF DUC DUC (AT916576). WO1 LACHEY WAS AT THE CONTROLS AND DEPARTED THE PICK-UP AREA. ENROUTE TO THE FIREBASE, WO1 LACHEY CLIMBED TO 3000' INDICATED. DURING THE CLIMB OUT, WO1 LACHEY APPLIED COLLECTIVE PITCH UNTIL THE ENGINE RPM STARTED TO BLEED, THIS OCCURRED AT 42PSI TORQUE AND 590 EGT. CPT BATTLE INFORMED WO1 LACHEY THAT A DER CHECK WOULD BE MADE LATER DUE TO THE PASSENGERS BEING IN A HURRY. AT 1030 HRS THEY DEPARTED THE FIREBASE AND FLEW TO LZ BALDY, DROPPED OFF THE PASSENGERS AND FLEW TO HAWK HILL, REFUELED, AND RETURNED TO LZ BALDY. AT 1130 HOURS THEY DEPARTED LZ BALDY, FLEW TO DUC DUC, AND SHUT DOWN. AT 1230 HOURS, CPT BATTLE AND WO1 LACHEY CRANKED THE AIRCRAFT AND MOVED IT TO THE CENTER OF THE PAD. AFTER WAITING APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AT 5500 RPM, THE 3 PASSENGERS ARRIVED AND TOLD THE CREW THEY WERE READY TO RETURN TO LZ400. WO1 LACHEY PULLED THE AIRCRAFT UP TO A 3 FOOT HOVER AND POSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT FOR DEPARTURE. DUE TO ARTILLERY THAT WAS FIRING FROM THE FIREBASE, A TAKE OFF DIRECTLY INTO THE WIND WAS NOT POSSIBLE. WO1 LACHEY POSITIONED THE AIRCRAFT FOR DEPARTURE THAT WOULD GIVE THEM A 50 CORSS WIND AND WOULD REQUIRE BETWEEN A NORMAL AND MAXIMUM TAKE OFF. CPT BATTLE MADE A PRE-TAKEOFF CHECK AND VERBALLY INFORMED WO1 LACHEY THAT THE PRE-TAKE OFF CHECK WAS GOOD. WO1 LACHEY ALSO CHECKED THE INSTRUMENTS PRIOR TO DEPARTING AND FOUND ALL INSTRUMENTS IN THE NORMAL OPERATING RANGES. WO1 LACHEY THEN DEPARTED THE LZ. AT APPROXIMATELY 25' AGL AND 15-20 KNOTS AIRSPEED, (EFFECTIVE TRANSLATIONAL LIFT) CPT BATTLE OBSERVED THE N1 START DROPPING, THE ROTOR AND ENGINE RPM INDICATORS DROPPING TOGETHER, THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT CAME ON AND THE LOW RPM AUDIO ACTIVATED. WO1 LACHEY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE PITCH SLIGHTLY, ROLLED THE THROTTLE TO THE FLIGHT IDLE DETENT, AND THE ENGINE AND ROTOR NEEDLES SPLIT AT 5300 RPM. CPT BATTLE ALSO GOT ON THE CONTROLS AT THIS TIME. WO1LACHEY PUT THE AIRCRAFT IN AN ALMOST VERTICAL DESCENT DUE TO OBSTACLES IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. AT APPROXIMATELY 10-15 FEET AGL, BOTH CPT BATTLE AND WO1 LACHEY SAW A BOMB CRATER IN THE PATH OF THE HELICOPTER AND BOTH APPLIED RIGHT CYCLIC TO AVOID IT. BETWEEN 3 AND 5 FEET THEY BOTH APPLIED CUSHIONING PITCH. AT TOUCHDOWN THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING DOWN AND TO THE RIGHT, AND LANDED HARD. CPT BATTLE AND WO1 LACHEY SHUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. NO INJURIES WERE INCURRED OF THE CREW OR PASSENGERS.

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16385
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 0567.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.