Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15373
The Army purchased this helicopter 0269
Total flight hours at this point: 00000694
Date: 09/22/1969
Accident case number: 690922131
Unit: 129 AHC
The station for this helicopter was An Son in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 1000
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
P W1 BURDESS LR
Accident Summary:
ENG FAILED ON SHORT FINAL DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION ICDT DAM
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15373
The Army purchased this helicopter 0269
Total flight hours at this point: 00001763
Date: 09/10/1970
Accident case number: 700910261 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 129 AHC
The station for this helicopter was An Son in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 3 . . Passengers = 0
costing 244345
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 W1 LUDEMAN JE
P W1 MILLER LB
CE E4 STIFFLER LE
G E4 MOUNT GL
Accident Summary:
ON 10 SEP 70, AIRCRAFT 68-15373, DEPARTED LANE AHP TO WORK FOR THE 40TH ARVN REGT OUT OF LZ ENGLISH, RVN. THE MORNING WAS SPENT ON COMBAT ASSAULTS IN THE GENERAL AREA OF BINH DINH PROVINCE. AFTER RELEASE FROM THE COMBAT ASSAULT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN OFF OF THE ACTIVE AT LZ ENGLISH. THE AFTERNOON WAS SCHEDULED AS RESUPPLY FOR THE 40TH ARVN REGT. AFTER TWO SORTIES OF RESUPPLY AND ONE REFUELING STOP AT LZ ENGLISH, THE CREW HEADED NORTHEAST FROM ENGLISH WITH THREE PASSENGERS FOR A POSITION NORTHEAST OF ENGLISH. TRAVELING NORTH ALONG THE BEACH THE PILOTS ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH THE GROUND UNIT, BUT AFTER ONE LOW PASS WERE UNABLE TO ESTABLISH VISUAL CONTACT. ANOTHER LOW PASS WAS INITIATED AND THE GROUND UNIT TOLD THE PILOTS THAT THEY WERE PASSING OVERHEAD AT THAT TIME. MR. LUDEMAN CONTINUED ON COURSE, WHICH CARRIED THE AIRCRAFT OUT OVER THE OCEAN AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FT AGL. HE THEN INITIATED A STEEP RIGHT TURN OF 180 RETURN TO THE LZ ON FINAL APPROACH. DURING THE TURN BOTH AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE WERE DISSIPATED AND MR. LUDEMAN TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTION BY APPLYING FORWARD CYCLIC TO INCREASE AIRSPEED. HE SOON NOTICED THAT HIS APPROACH WAS TOO FAST AND THAT HE WAS DESCENDING TOO RAPIDLY, SO HE INITIATED A FLARE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE WATER AND THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE WATER CAUSING THE TAIL ROTOR AND 90 GEARBOX TO SEPARATE FROM THE AIRCRAFT. MR. LUDEMAN THEN EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL AND AT ABOUT THIS TIME NOTICED THE TAIL ROTOR CHIP DETECTOR LIGHT WAS ON. AT ABOUT 75 FT. AGL, THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN SPINNING TO THE RIGHT COMPLETING APPROXIMATELY THREE, 360 TURNS. THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 400 METERS INLAND. MR. LUDEMAN ATTEMPTED TO CUSHION THE AIRCRAFT ONTO THE GROUND BUT DUE TO THE LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED HARD ON THE LEFT SKID AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. A FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE AREA ON IMPACT. THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE GUNNER JUMPED OUT AND ASSISTED THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS OUT OF THE BURNING AIRCRAFT. THE CREW MEMBERS WERE THEN MEDIVACED TO LZ ENGLISH BY THE 61ST AHC AND LATER TAKEN TO THE 67TH EVAC HOSP. IN QUI NHON,RVN, WHERE THEY WERE TREATED FOR INJURIES.
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-15373
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 0269.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6902 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 6903 54 54 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6904 126 180 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6905 129 309 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6906 140 449 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6907 73 522 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6908 102 624 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6909 70 694 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6910 107 801 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6911 245 1046 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6912 79 1125 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7001 70 1195 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7002 71 1266 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7003 79 1345 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7004 51 1396 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7005 85 1481 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7006 98 1579 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7007 104 1683 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7008 80 1763 WC3JAA 129 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN