The aircraft was at a hover in one a ship LZ to pick up a POW and the pilot allowed the aircraft to drift 2 feet to the left and the main rotor blade struck a tree limb damaging the rotor blades
This record was last updated on 04/14/97
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16506
The Army
purchased this helicopter 0667
Total flight hours at this point:
00002231
Date: 11/03/70
Accident case number: 701103051
Unit: 498
MED
The station for this helicopter was Qui Nhon in
Number killed in
accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 104258
Source(s)
from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center
database.
Crew Members:
AC W2 ETTER MD
P W1 DOLES KJ
Accident Summary:
AT 0800 HOURS CW2 MICHAEL D. ETTER AND HIS CREW DEPARTED AN KHE ON A ROUTINE MEDICAL EVACUATION MISSION TO GRID COORDINATE BR 633597,RVN. MR. ETTER FLEW THE AIRCRAFT TO THE EVACUATION SITE AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE PATIENT WAS PLACED ON THE AIRCRAFT AND MR. ETTER PASSED THE CONTROLS TO MR. DOLES WHO INITIATED THE TAKEOFF ON A HEADING OF 360, PULLING 31 TO 32 POUNDS OF TORQUE. AT AN APPROXIMATE ALTITUDE OF 50 FEET THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE THAT ORIGINATED FROM THE AREA OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER. MR. KOLES INITIATED AN AUTOROTATIVE GLIDE. AT THIS TIME MR. ETTER ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND COMPLETED THE FORCED LANDING IN AN AREA COVERED BY LOW SCRUB BUSHES AND SMALL TREES. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS CAUSED BY THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRIKING A TREE AND BY THE AIRCRAFT LANDING ON A SMALL TREE STUMP WHICH WAS CONCEALED FROM MR. ETTER'S VIEW. THE CREW AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS PREPARED FOR RECOVERY. RECOVERY WAS ACCOMPLISHED THE SAME DAY AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO LANE ARMY HELIPORT, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.\\ UPON THE AIRCRAFT'S ARRIVAL AT LANE ARMY HELIPORT IT WAS THOROUGHLY INSPECTED BY THE BOARD AND METAL FRAGMENTS, SOME AS LARGE AS A DIME, WERE FOUND IN THE EXHAUST END OF THE ENGINE.\\
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number
66-16506
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 0667.
Please provide any additional information on this
helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6706 18 18 WQ4VAA 92 AVN CO 5TH ARMY FORT CARSON 5TH ARMY 6707 28 46 WQ4VAA 92 AVN CO 5TH ARMY FORT CARSON 5TH ARMY 6708 12 58 WQ4VAA 92 AVN CO 5TH ARMY FORT CARSON 5TH ARMY 6709 24 82 WQ4VAA 92 AVN CO 5TH ARMY FORT CARSON 5TH ARMY 6710 0 82 WQ4VAA 92 AVN CO 5TH ARMY FORT CARSON 5TH ARMY 6711 3 85 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6712 89 174 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6801 117 291 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6802 103 394 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6803 90 484 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6804 134 618 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6805 95 713 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6806 114 827 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6807 110 937 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6808 114 1051 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6809 42 1093 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6810 22 1115 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6811 87 1202 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6812 98 1300 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6901 123 1423 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6902 69 1492 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6903 57 1549 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6904 0 1549 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6905 0 1549 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6906 0 1549 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6907 24 1573 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 6908 63 1636 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 6909 98 1734 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 6910 19 1753 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 6911 49 1802 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 6912 37 1839 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7001 7 1846 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7002 79 1925 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7003 21 1946 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7004 93 2039 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7005 44 2083 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7006 54 2137 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7007 1 2138 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7008 45 2183 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7009 46 2229 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7010 0 2229 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7011 2 2231 WBM2AA 498 MED CO AM VIETNAM RVN 7012 0 2231 W0Y6AA USA FLT OPN OFC 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AMC 7101 0 2231 NAT&GUARD NAT GDZI 7102 0 2231 NAT&GUARD NAT GDZI 7103 0 2231 WC5GAA 610 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 7104 0 2231 WC5GAA 174 ASHC VIETNAM RVN 7202 0 0 W0MUAA AVSCOM FLT DET 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AVSCOM 7203 0 0 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7204 0 0 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7205 0 0 W0MUAA AVSCOM FLT DET 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AVSCOM 7206 0 0 W0MUAA AVSCOM FLT DET 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AVSCOM 7207 0 0 W0MUAA AVSCOM FLT DET 5TH ARMY ST LOUIS AVSCOM 7208 0 0 WCMFAA SUP MAINT CTR HAWAII HAWAII 7209 0 0 WCMFAA SUP MAINT CTR HAWAII HAWAII 7210 0 0 WCMFAA SUP MAINT CTR HAWAII HAWAII 7211 1 1 WCMFAA SUP MAINT CTR HAWAII HAWAII 7212 1 2 WCMFAA SUP MAINT CTR HAWAII HAWAII 7301 0 2 WCMFAA SUP MAINT CTR HAWAII HAWAII 7302 3 5 WALNB0 HHT 3/4CAV 25ID HAWAII HAWAII 7303 2 7 WALNT0 HHT 3/4CAV 25ID HAWAII HAWAII 7304 10 17 WALNT0 HHT 3/4CAV 25ID HAWAII HAWAII 7305 0 17 WALNT0 HHT 3/4CAV 25ID HAWAII HAWAII 7306 0 17 WALNT0 HHT 3/4CAV 25ID HAWAII HAWAII 7307 17 34 WALNT0 HHT 3/4CAV 25ID HAWAII HAWAII 7308 9 43 WALNT0 HHT 3/4CAV 25ID HAWAII HAWAII 7309 11 54 WALNT0 HHT 3/4CAV 25ID HAWAII HAWAII 7310 16 70 WALNAA 3/4CAV 25ID HHT HAWAII HAWAII 7311 0 70 WALNAA 3/4CAV 25ID HHT HAWAII HAWAII 7312 0 70 WALNAA 3/4CAV 25ID HHT HAWAII HAWAII 7401 0 70 WALNAA 3/4CAV 25ID HHT HAWAII HAWAII 7402 0 70 WALNAA 3/4CAV 25ID HHT HAWAII HAWAII 7403 0 70 WALNAA 3/4 CAV 25TH ID HAWAII HAWAII 7404 0 70 WALNAA 3/4 CAV 25TH ID HAWAII HAWAII 7405 0 70 WALNAA 3/4 CAV 25TH ID HAWAII HAWAII 7409 1 71 WALNAA 3/4 CAV 25TH ID HAWAII SCHOFIELD BKS HAWAII 7410 9 80 WALNAA 3/4 CAV 25TH ID HAWAII SCHOFIELD BKS HAWAII 7411 28 108 WALNAA 3/4 CAV 25TH ID HAWAII SCHOFIELD BKS HAWAII 7412 12 120 WALXAA 3/4 CAV 25TH ID HAWAII SCHOFIELD BKS FORSCOM 7501 0 120 WAXLAA 25TH INF DIV HAWAII SCHOFIELD BKS FORSCOM 7502 4 124 WAXLAA 25TH INF DIV HAWAII SCHOFIELD BKS FORSCOM 7503 42 166 WAXLAA 25TH INF DIV HAWAII SCHOFIELD BKS FORSCOM 7504 13 179 WAXLAA 25TH INF DIV HAWAII SCHOFIELD BKS FORSCOM 7505 5 184 W3REAA USA SP CMD PROP HAWAII SCHOFIELD BKS FORSCOM 7506 0 184 W3REAA 25TH INF DIV HAWAII SCHOFIELD BKS FORSCOM 7507 0 184 W3REAA 25TH INF DIV HAWAII SCHOFIELD BKS FORSCOM 7509 0 184 W0MUAA SUPPLY DIV 5TH ARMY FORT KNOX TRADOC 7510 2 186 W0MUAA DIR OF SUPPLY IN STORAGE CORPUS CH AD AVSCOM 7511 13 199 W0MUAA DIR OF SUPPLY IN MAINT CORPUS CH AD AVSCOM 7512 0 199 W0MUAA DIR OF SUPPLY IN STORAGE CORPUS CH AD AVSCOM
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