Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15077
The Army purchased this helicopter 0369
Total flight hours at this point: 00000852
Date: 04/01/70
Unit: B/4/77 ARA 101 ABN
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
for Close Air Support
While On Target this helicopter was Attacking at 3000 feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
Systems damaged were: N/R
The helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft continued and accomplished all 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 68-15077
The Army purchased this helicopter 0369
Total flight hours at this point: 00000916
Date: 06/12/70
Unit: 142 TC CO
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO THEATER
for Close Air Support
While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at UNK feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size.
The helicopter was hit in the Engine Compartment
Systems damaged were: HYDRAULIC SYS
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.
Additional damage upon landing
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: CRAFX, FM385 (Crash Facts Message. )
Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15077
The Army purchased this helicopter 0369
Total flight hours at this point: 00000916
Date: 06/25/70
Accident case number: 700625181
Unit: D/227 AVN
The station for this helicopter was Lai Khe in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 17685
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1 HUGGINS JA
P O3 FAUST PL
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT 077 WAS ENROUTE FROM LAI KHE TO FSB BUTTONS FOR A NIGHT HAWK MISSION. BOTH THE NIGHT HAWK AIRCRAFT AND THE COVER AIRCRAFT, 077, WERE ATTEMPTING A TEST FIRE NEAR THE ACCIDENT GRID. WHILE PREPARING TO EXECUTE THE WEAPONS FIRE BY MAKING A LEFT HAND 180 TURN, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER NOTICED THAT THE LOSS OF POWER WAS IMMEDIATE AND ENTERED NORMAL AUTOROTATION, INTENDING TO TOUCH DOWN ON A SMALL CLEARING IN WHICH THERE WERE SOME SMALL TREES AND ELEPHANT GRASS. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER STATED THAT DURING THE DESCENT THE #1 RPM WENT TO 0% AND LOSS OF POWER WAS COMPLETE. AT 10 TO 15 FEET WO-1 HUGGINS PULLED INITIAL PITCH, AND WITH ZERO GROUND RUN, SETTLED VERTICALLY ONTO THE CLEARING. HE ATTEMPTED TO CUSHION THE LANDING AT THE TOPS OF THE ELEPHANT GRASS, BUT DUE TO THE HEIGHT OF THE GRASS, THE AIRCAFT SUFFERED A HARD LANDING FROM THE APPROXIMATELY 6 FOOT FALL TO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SHUT DOWN AND EXITED.\\
Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15077
The Army purchased this helicopter 0369
Total flight hours at this point: 00000921
Date: 03/18/71 MIA-POW file reference number: 1729
Incident number: 71031810.KIA
Unit: D/101 AVN 101 ABN
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Rescue and Recovery mission for Rescue or Rescue Support
While in PickUp Zone this helicopter was Attacking at UNK feet and UNK knots.
Laos
UTM grid coordinates: XD469397
Unknown groundfire.
Systems damaged were: MULTIPLE, PERSONNEL
Casualties = 02 MIA . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
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.
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis
Center Helicopter database. Also: 1729, CASRP
(Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew: BOFFMAN, ALAN BRENT;
Crew Members:
P 1LT BOFFMAN ALAN BRENT KIA
P CPT BRANDT KEITH ALLAN KIA
REFNO Synopsis:
BRANDT, KEITH ALLAN
Name: Keith Allan Brandt
Rank/Branch: O3/US Army
Unit: D Company, 101st Aviation Btn.
101st Airborne Division (Airmobile)
Date of Birth: 27 December 1940
Home City of Record: Bellingham WA
Date of Loss: 18 March 1971
Country of Loss: Laos
Loss Coordinates: 163811N 1062239E
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 2
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: AH1G
Other Personnel
In Incident: Alan B. Boffman (missing)
REMARKS:
SYNOPSIS: Lam San 719 was the last major operation of the Vietnam War. It involved American multi-service support of ARVN troops in an invasion of Laos. The targeted area began around the city of Tchpone and extended south along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The operation was a concentrated attempt to halt North Vietnamese troop and supply movements.
After the ARVN successfully took Tchpone, they elected to withdraw. American Marines and Army aircraft helped them withdraw back into Vietnam. All the while, NVA troops followed, and withdrawal, at times, was very difficult.
As the last of the ARVN 4/1 were being assisted back to Vietnam, and had been trapped in a crater, Capt. Keith Brandt came on station leading a flight of Cobra gunships in response to Command & Control request for assistance to all helicopters. The ARVN on the ground radioed Brandt, "We're completely surrounded", and asked him to expend his ordnance on his smoke (a detonated smoke grenade, used to mark location).
For the rest of the afternoon, Brandt and his crewmember, Alan Boffman stayed over the ARVN, returning to Khe Sahn for refueling and rearming three times. He expended ordnance as directed by the ARVN sergeant on radio and dodged NVA fire on low-level flights to pinpoint the exact ARVN location and calculate
the best approach route for rescue helicopters.
At nearly five in the afternoon, the 173rd Robinhoods began coming in from the east to extract the beseiged ARVN. Brandt was still circling, and volunteered to lead the helicopters in, as the ARVN had expended their last smoke grenade some hours earlier. He radioed, "This is Music One-six. Follow me, Robinhood Three, and I'll lead you to the friendlies." As they moved in, NVA fire exploded around them. Brandt's Cobra shuddered and he radioed, "I've lost my engine and my transmission is breaking up. Good-bye. Send my love to my
family. I'm dead." Then, the Cobra became a ball of fire and crashed in the trees.
With knots in their throats, the extraction helicopters continued their mission. Of the original 420 ARVN who entered Laos, only 88 were left. They had fought hard for 6 weeks. The helicopters were clearly overloaded, and some had great difficulty staying airborne on the trip back to Khe Sanh. ARVN were hanging from the skids of the aircraft in a desperate attempt to reach the
safety of Vietnam. Many fell, some were injured on landing. Of the 88 at the crater, only 36 made it back to the safety of Khe Sanh.
This record was last updated on 05/25/98
The following is crew member information for this incident:
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15077
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.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6903 0 0 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN IN STORAGE SHARPE AD AVCOM 6904 1 1 WCLSAA 388 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 6905 99 100 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 6906 62 162 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 6907 98 260 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 6908 86 346 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 6909 61 407 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 6910 47 454 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 6911 33 487 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 6912 72 559 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7001 64 623 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7002 56 679 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7003 75 754 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7004 98 852 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7005 46 898 WFJ8B0 B 4-77ATY 101AC VIETNAM RVN 7006 18 916 WE4HAA 142 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 7007 0 916 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7008 0 916 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7009 0 916 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7010 0 916 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7011 0 916 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7012 5 921 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7101 0 921 WC5GAA 610 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 7102 0 921 WC5GAA 610 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 7103 0 921 WC5GAA 610 TC DS VIETNAM RVN
Please send additions or corrections to:
Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870
Printed from databases on: 02/21/99
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