Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15163
The Army purchased this helicopter 0569
Total flight hours at this point: 00001981
Date: 11/01/71
Accident case number: 711101121
Unit: 282 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Marble Mountain in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 1
costing 33159
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
P W1 MICHAEL RT
G E5 POLO AC
Passengers:
UNK, GM, G;
Accident Summary:
AIRCRAFT WAS RELEASED FROM MAINTENANCE THE MORIING OF 1 NOV 71 AND REQUIRED AT TEST FIRING OF ALL WEAPONS SYSTEMS IN ORDER TO BE MISSION READY. THE PILOT, ^WO1 MICHAELS^, AND CREW CHIEF, ^POLO^, CONDUCTED A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYABLE. AFTER ARMING ALL SYSTEMS AND REFUELING TO 1200 6BS OF FUEL, THEY DEPARTED MARBLE MOUNTAIN ARMY AIRFIELD ENROUTETO THE WEAPONS TEST FIRE AREA AT GRID COORDINATES ATO356. AFTER OBTAINING CLEARANCE TO FIRE, ^WO1 MICHAELS^ MADE SEVERAL FIRING PASSES AND COMPLETED HIS TEST OF WEAPONS SYSTEMS. HE THEN CLIMBED TO 2000' AGL, DEPARTED THE AREA AND STARTED TO RETURN TO MMAAF. ABOUT 14 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRFIELD, AT 2000' AGL IN LEVEL CRUISE FLIGHT AT APPROXIMATELY 100 KNOTS AIRPPEED, A RIPPING NOISE FOLLOWED BY A BANG AND A SHUDDERING OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE EXPERIENCED. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSELY, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A YAW TO THE RIGHT. ^WO1 MICHAELS^ FIRST SUSPECTED A MALFUNCTION OF THE STABILIZATION AUGUMENTATION SYSTEM, AND IMMEIDATELY DISENGAGED THE SYSTEM. A SLIGHT CORRECTION WAS FELT, FOLLOWED BY AN INCREASE IN THE YAW ANGLE AS THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A TURN TO THE RIGHT. DECIDING THAT THIS WAS INDEED AN ANTITORQUE FAILURE, ^WO1 MICHAELS^ ENTERED AUTOROTATION AND TRANSMITTED SEVERAL "MAYDAY" CALLS. DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS NOT REGAINED, AS THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED IN A RIGHT SPIRALING TURN. ^WO1 MICHAELS^ WAS UNABLE TO SELECT A FORCED LANDING AREA, BUT LEVELED THE AIRCRAFT AND CUSHIONED THE LANDING WITH COLLECTIVE PITCH. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT IN AN ALMOST LEVEL ATTIDUDE WITH NO GROUND RUN. THE CREW CHIEF AND PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT UNHAMPERED, AND SECURED ALL SURVIVAL EQUIPMENT. THEY WERE BOTH EXTRACTED WITHIN MINUTES BY AN AIRCRAFT THAT HAD MONTIORED THEIR RADIO CALLS.\\
Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15163
The Army purchased this helicopter 0569
Total flight hours at this point: 00002057
Date: 07/12/72
Unit: 142 TC CO
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YD362552
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15163
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 0569.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6905 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 6906 0 0 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN IN MAINT SHARPE AD AVCOM 6907 0 0 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN IN TRANSIT SHARPE AD AVCOM 6908 16 16 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 6909 91 107 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 6910 98 205 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 6911 78 283 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 6912 108 391 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7001 115 506 WAG3B0 BBTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7002 41 547 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7003 76 623 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7004 145 768 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7005 113 881 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7006 109 990 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7007 98 1088 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7008 127 1215 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7009 64 1279 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7010 111 1390 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7011 66 1456 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7012 74 1530 WAG3A0 ABTRY2BN20A1CAV VIETNAM RVN 7101 64 1594 WAG3A0 A 2 20 ARTY VIETNAM RVN 7102 57 1651 WAG3A0 A 2 20 ARTY VIETNAM RVN 7103 66 1717 WAG3A0 A 2 20 ARTY VIETNAM RVN 7104 29 1746 WAG3A0 A 2 20 ARTY VIETNAM RVN 7105 60 1806 WAG3A0 A 2 20 ARTY VIETNAM RVN 7106 37 1843 WAG3A0 F TRP 4 CAV VIETNAM RVN 7107 30 1873 WD3GAA 334 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7108 52 1925 WD3GAA 334 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7109 25 1950 WD3GAA 334 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7110 31 1981 WD3GAA 334 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7111 0 1981 WD3GAA 334 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7112 0 1981 WD3GAA 334 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7201 0 1981 WE4HAA 142 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 7202 3 1984 WE4HAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7203 0 1984 WE4HAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7204 0 1984 WE4HAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7205 26 2010 WE4HAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7206 6 2016 WE4HAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 7207 41 2057 WE4HAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
Please send additions or corrections to:
Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870
Printed from databases on: 02/14/99
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