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Helicopter UH-1H 68-15464

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Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15464

The Army purchased this helicopter 0369
Total flight hours at this point: 00001775
Date: 11/10/1970
Accident case number: 701110121
Unit: 134^th AHC
The station for this helicopter was Tuy Hoa in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 38455
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated:
Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database.
Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:

AC W2 GROCE HV
P W1 EDWARDS JD

Accident Summary:

THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PERFORM A VIBRATION CHECK OF A
NEW ENGINE INSTALLED BY THE 79TH TRANS. CO. AT QUI NHON, RVN. THE
79TH HAD PERFORMED A TEST FLIGHT BUT FAILED TO INCLUDE THE
RESULTS OF THE VIBRATION CHECK AND ENGINE TOPPING CHART IN THE
TEST FLIGHT THEY PERFORMED. WO1 EDWARDS MADE THE RUN-UP AND
GROUND CHECK OF THE AIRCRAFT. CW2 GROCE SUPERVISED THE ENGINE MAN
INSTALLING THE LEADS ON THE VIBRATION METER. WO1 EDWARDS WAS THE
PILOT IN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FLIGHT.
AFTER RECEIVING CLEARANCE FROM THE TOWER HE TOOK OFF USING THE 03
TAXIWAY. WHILE CLIMBING OUT AT 180' AGL AND 70 KNOTS IAS WO1
EDWARDS ELECTED TO MAKE A HYDRAULIC CHECK. THIS MANEUVER WAS NOT
CONDUCTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH STANDARD TEST FLIGHT PROCEDURES. WO1
EDWARDS INSTRUCTED CW2 GROCE TO TURN OFF THE HYDRAULIC SWITCH.
CW2 GROCE INFORMED WO1 EDWARDS HE WAS TURNING OFF THE HYDRAULIC
SWITCH AT THAT TIME AND WO1 EDWARDS PUT THE COLLECTIVE FULL DOWN
AND DISCOVERED HE STILL HAD HYD ASSIST AND INFORMED CW2 GROCE HE
STILL HAD HYDRAULICS. AT THIS TIME WO1 EDWARDS PULLED IN
COLLECTIVE PITCH AND CW2 GROCE REACHED TO RECYCLE THE HYDRAULIC
SWITCH AND NOTED THE RPM PASSING THROUGH 6200 AND INFORMED WO1
EDWARDS TO BOTTOM COLLECTIVE PITCH. AT APPROXIMATELY 80' AGL AND
70 KNOTS IAS, WO1 EDWARDS STARTED A DECELERATION TO SLOW HIS
FORWARD AIRSPEED, AT APPROXIMATELY 20' AGL 45 KNOTS IAS PULLED
INITIAL COLLECTIVE PITCH. DUE TO THE LOW ROTOR RPM, APPROXIMATELY
225, THE AIRCRAFT HAD A HIGH SINK RATE AND HIT IN A TAIL LOW
ATTITUDE AND LEVELED SKIDS. THE TAIL BOOM AND STINGER HAD CONTACT
WITH THE TAXIWAY FOR 28'7" BEFORE THE SKIDS MADE CONTACT. THE
SKIDS ON CONTACT SPREAD AND THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED
THE TAXIWAY SLIDING FOR 45 FEET, THEN WENT AIRBORNE FOR 42 FEET,
SLID 44 FEET ALIGNED WITH TAXIWAY AND STARTED A SLOW TURN TO THE
LEFT. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A SLOW TURN WO1 EDWARDS APPLIED
FULL LEFT CYCLIC CAUSING THE MAIN ROTOR TO STRIKE THE PAVEMENT
AND MAST BUMPING TO OCCUR. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED SLIDING
ALIGNED ON THE TAXIWAY IN A SLOW TURN AND 2( FEET FROM INITIAL
MAIN ROTOR BLADE CONTACT, THE SECOND STRIKE OCCURRED AND THE MAIN
ROTOR STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM SEVERING A PORTION OF THE TAIL BOOM
AND TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WHICH WAS FOUND 124 FEET FROM THIS
POINT. AT 215 FEET FROM THE INITIAL POINT OF CONTACT A WHIRD MAIN
ROTOR BLADE STRIKE OCCURRED COMPLETELY SEVERING THE TAIL BOOM,
THE VERTICAL FIN AND TAIL ROTOR FELL TO THE GROUND AT THAT POINT
AND SLID FOR 78 FEET AND STOPPED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST
UPRIGHT HEADED 280 DEGREES AND 353 FEET 2 INCHES FROM THE INITIAL
CONTACT POINT. WHEN THE ROTOR BLADES STOPPED TURNING WO1 EDWARDS
TURNED OFF THE BATTERY AND NOTED THE MAIN FUEL SWITCH WAS TURNED
OFF. THE CREW THEN EXITED THE AIRCRAFT.\\

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15464
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 0369.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.