Helicopter AH-1G 68-15009

Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15009
The Army purchased this helicopter 0169
Total flight hours at this point: 00000319
Date: 08/16/69
Unit: C/2/20 ARA
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
for Close Air Support
While On Target this helicopter was Attacking at 2300 feet and 120 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 3 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (12.7MM)
The helicopter was hit in the Nose
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL, STRUCTURE, COMM SYS, MAIN ROTOR SYS
Casualties = 01 WIA . .
The helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft was diverted or delayed after completing some mission objectives.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: JSIDR (Joint Services Incident Damage Report. )


Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15009
The Army purchased this helicopter 0169
Total flight hours at this point: 00000442
Date: 10/16/69
Accident case number: 691016031
Unit: C/2/20 ARA
The station for this helicopter was Unknown S. Vietnam in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 2383
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.

Crew Members:
AC O2 TYREE RL

Accident Summary:

 PLT HEARD LOUD BANG & N1 DROPPED TO ZERO AUTO LDG TO ROUGH TERRAIN ICDT DAM \


Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15009
The Army purchased this helicopter 0169
Total flight hours at this point: 00000765
Date: 11/21/70
Unit: D/229 AVN
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was a Recon mission for Armed Escort
While On Target this helicopter was Attacking at 0600 feet and 100 knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 2 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (12.7MM, 7.62MM)
Systems damaged were: TAIL ROTOR
The helicopter made a Forced Landing. Aircraft is later recovered by any means other than its own power.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: JSIDR (Joint Services Incident Damage Report. )


Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15009
The Army purchased this helicopter 0169
Total flight hours at this point: 00001844
Date: 05/11/72 MIA-POW file reference number: 1855
Incident number: 72051110.KIA
Unit: F/79 ARA 1 CAV
This helicopter was LOST TO INVENTORY
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XT755872
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: 1855, Mike Sloniker ()
Summary: Shot down by an SA-7 missile at 1233 hours over An Loc.
Loss to Inventory
Crew: STROBRIDGE, RODNEY L;

Crew Members:
P MAJ STROBRIDGE RODNEY LYNN BNR
P MAJ WILLIAMS ROBERT JOHN BNR

REFNO Synopsis:
CPTs Strowbridge and Williams were the crew in an AH-1G helicopter, as in a flight of three providing air operations support to South Vietnamese Army forces heavily engaged by hostile units in the siege of An Loc town, Binh Long Province. Their helicopter was hit in the tail boom and the boom was immediately severed, possibly by a surface to air missile. Their helicopter went into a flat spin and crashed but no one saw the actual crash. Heavy anti-aircraft fire precluded a search of the crash site area. Both airmen were declared missing in action. In September 1974, the Joint Casualty Resolution Center reported a crash site associated with a 1972 aircraft downing. The remains of a pilot were reportedly buried nearby. In 1983 and 1984, JCRC received further reporting about aircraft wreckage associated with remains in the area of their crash. In July 1987, a source reported dog-tag information associated with Robert J. Williams and reported his remains were in Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province. In May 1991, another source previously incarcerated at the Tong Le Chan reeducation camp provided dog tag information with the name Robert Williams and asserted his remains were in Song Be (new name for Binh Long) Province.


War Story:
Shot down by an SA-7 missile at 1233H over An Loc. Might have been a survivable tail boom loss, several thought they may have gotten out. Aircraft landed upright and did not burn. Aircraft was not there when ARVNs later secured the area. Williams was a high time, multi-tour Cobra pilot with over 2000 hours of rotary wing time. He was assigned to HHC 229th as the Battalion AH-1G Standardization Instructor Pilot (SIP). Previous assignment was with the 5th Aviation Detachment at Vung Tau, where he taught in-country AH-1G transitions.

This record was last updated on 05/25/98


The following is crew member information for this incident:


Name: MAJ Rodney Lynn Strobridge
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 05/11/72 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Declared dead on 05/15/78.
Age at death: 31.0
Date of Birth: 05/22/41
Home City: Torrance, CA
Service: FA branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: F/79 ARA 1 CAV
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: FA branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 01W-024
Short Summary: Surface to air missle shot off tail boom near An Loc. See CPT Robert J. Williams. Declared dead 15 may 78.
Aircraft: AH-1G tail number 68-15009
Call sign: Blue Max
SSN: 568544862 Service number: O5425073
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: *
Primary cause: SVN-BNR-SAM
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Vehicle ownership: government
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
The initial status of this person was: missing in action - bonified
Length of service: *
Location: Binh Long Province III Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XT755872
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Protestant - no denominational preference
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 02/21/94



Name: MAJ Robert John Williams (posthumously promoted)
Status: Body Not Recovered from an incident on 05/11/72 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Declared dead on 09/12/78.
Age at death: 28.6
Date of Birth: 09/17/43
Home City: Daleville, AL
Service: IN branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: F/79 ARA 1 CAV
Major organization: 1st Cavalry Division
Flight class: 65-19W
Service: IN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 01W-024
Short Summary: Surface to air missle shot off tail boom causing spin & crash. See CPT R. L. Strobridge. Declared dead 12 sep 78.
Aircraft: AH-1G tail number 68-15009
Call sign: Blue Max
SSN: 424543562
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: *
Primary cause: SVN-BNR-SAM
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: vehicular accident
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 10/24/71
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
The initial status of this person was: missing in action - bonified
Length of service: *
Location: Binh Long Province III Corps.
Military grid coordinates of event: XT755872
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Episcopal (Anglican)
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 09/07/96


The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15009
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 0169.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
6901   0    0 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN   IN TRANSIT SHARPE AD        AVCOM        
6902   0    0 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN   IN TRANSIT SHARPE AD        AVCOM        
6903   4    4 WAG3C0 CBTRY2BN20A1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6904  74   78 WAG3C0 CBTRY2BN20A1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN     
6905  61  139 WAG3C0 CBTRY2BN20A1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN      
6906  34  173 WAG3C0 CBTRY2BN20A1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN      
6907  74  247 WAG3C0 CBTRY2BN20A1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN      
6908  72  319 WAG3C0 CBTRY2BN20A1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN      
6909  75  394 WAG3C0 CBTRY2BN20A1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN      
6910  48  442 WCLMAA 56 TRANS CO DS   VIETNAM                     RVN     
6911   0  442 W0MAAA DIR SUP / TRAN   IN MAINT   NEW CUMBRLND AD  AVCOM             
6912   0  442 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR       BAILMENT   FT WORTH         AVCOM        
7001   0  442 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR       BAILMENT   FT WORTH         AVCOM        
7002   0  442 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR       BAILMENT   FT WORTH         AVCOM        
7003   0  442 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR       BAILMENT   FT WORTH         AVCOM        
7004   0  442 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR       BAILMENT   FT WORTH         AVCOM        
7005   0  442 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR       BAILMENT   FT WORTH         AVCOM        
7006   0  442 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR       BAILMENT   FT WORTH         AVCOM        
7007   8  450 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR       BAILMENT   FT WORTH         AVCOM        
7008  13  463 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN      
7009 168  631 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN      
7010  52  683 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN      
7011  82  765 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN      
7012  70  835 WAAXD0 COD 229ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN      
7101  41  876 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7102  84  960 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7103  55 1015 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7104  93 1108 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7105  57 1165 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7106  80 1245 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7107  60 1305 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7108  39 1344 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7109  81 1425 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7110  76 1501 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7111  50 1551 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7112   0 1551 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7201  51 1602 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7202  78 1680 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7203  61 1741 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     
7204 103 1844 WAAXD0 D 229TH BN       VIETNAM                     RVN     


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Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870


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Printed from databases on: 02/21/99

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