Historical Data Display for Aircraft 66-01085

Model: UH-1H
Date Purchased: Jan 1967
Service with Rattlers & Firebirds: From Mar 1969 To Jun 1969
Flight Hours: Beginning 1,074 / Ending 1,585 -> Hours Flown: 511

Aircraft Accident/Incident History

Date: 13 May 1971
Description:
Total flight hours at this point: 2,800
Accident case number: 710513051
Unit: 48 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Da Nang in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 6
costing 2118
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.

Crew Members:
P O2 SMITH PB
CP W1 HOLDRIDGE MR
CE E5 HEWITT FE
G E4 MILLER RL

Passengers:
, PAX, G; , PAX, G; , PAX, G; , PAX, G; , PAX, G; , PAX, G;


Accident Summary:

Aircraft 66-1085 had been doing routine resupply missions all morning for the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. They had refueled and returned on station, when they were instructed to pick up 6 U.S. Passengers on hill 350. The time was approximately 0915 and a low cloud cover prevented landing at that time. After circling for approximately 25 minutes it was possible to make a landing. The top pad at hill 350 was big enough to land one helicopter. On the northwest and south sides were very steep slopes. Other obstacles around the pad included conexes and a water trailer. Six U.S. Passengers without field gear were loaded onto the aircraft. 1LT Smith, the pilot, told the co-pilot to execute a good hover check before take-off. Fuel load at this time was 800-900 pounds. Wind was not a factor, since weather reports gave surface winds at 3 knots. As the co-pilot picked up to a hover, the aircraft began to spin to the right. The co-pilot pushed left pedal to the stop with no apparent effect. The pilot took the aircraft and yelled for the co-pilot to release the controls, which he did not hear. Due to the co-pilots extremely tight grip on the throttle the pilot was unable to roll off throttle and execute a hovering autorotation. The pilot did the only other logical procedure and that was to put the aircraft down hard enough to stop the spin. The aircraft was moving extremely close to the edge of the cliff and the tail boom was in danger of hitting a water trailer. When the aircraft hit hard, the impact bent the skids. The pilot told the co-pilot to shut down the aircraft while he got out and inspected the damage. The aircraft had come to rest very close to the edge of the cliff with the tail boom very near to striking the water trailer.

Aircraft Assignment History