Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 69-16414
The Army purchased this helicopter 0270
Total flight hours at this point: 00000918
Date: 06/08/1971
Accident case number: 710608151 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: F/8 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Chu Lai in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 1
costing 509833
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1 METZ DE
P W2 BECKER BL
Passengers:
UNKNOWN, LCO, G;
Accident Summary:
ON 8 JUNE 1971, COBRA ^414^ WAS PREFLIGHTED BY ^WO METZ, CW2 BECKER^, AND CREW CHIEF ^WHITE^. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RED BEACH AT 0710 HOURS TO PERFORM ITS ARMED ESCORT MISSION WITH A HEAVY AIR CAVALRY TEAM. THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO RED BEACH AT 1115 HOURS AND AFTER A NORMAL POST FLIGHT THE CREW DEPARTED FOR LUNCH. THE MORNING SORTIES WERE UNEVENTFUL AND ALL AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS WERE PERFORMING NORMALLY. THE PILOT DID NOTE LEFT PEDAL CONTROL DIFFICULTY WHEN LANDING AT RAW HIDE EARLIER IN THE MORNING. AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 HOURS, ^414^ DEPARTED RED BEACH TO CONTINUE ITS MISSION. AFTER A 1 1/2 HOUR FLIGHT THE TEAM ELECTED TO REFUEL AT RAW HIDE. RAW HIDE IS A FIRE SUPPORT BASE WITH A SOMEWHAT IMPROVISED FORWARD REFUELING, REARMING FACILITY. VISIBILITY WAS 7 MILES WITH WINDS VARIABLE FROM 230 DEGREES -290 DEGREES AT 6 KNOTS. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER ELECTED TO APPROACH THE NORTHERN MOST REFUELING POINT, BECAUSE OTHER AIRCRAFT WERE OCCUPYING THE TWO SOUTHERN MOST POINTS. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK ON 1300 POUNDS OF FUEL. AT THIS TIME THE AIRCRAFT LOAD CONSISTED OF 52 ROCKETS WITH 10 POUND WARHEADS, 150 ROUNDS OF 40MM, AND 1500 ROUNDS OF 7.62MM. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL HOVER CHECK FACING INTO THE WIND'S SUSPECTED DIRECTION THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER ATTEMPTED A PINNACLE TYPE TAKE OFF TO THE NORTH. AS THE AIRCRAFT MOVED OFF THE EDGE OF THE RIDGE, THE PILOT APPLIED FULL LEFT PEDAL AND INCREASED PITCH TO REDUCE SINK AND MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT GROUND TRACK. TORQUE WENT FROM 37 PSI AT THE HOVER, TO 41 PSI AND ENGINE RPM WENT TO 6200. THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A SLOW YAW AND TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER IN ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL PLACED AN EXAGGERATED LEFT FORWARD CYCLIC INPUT TO THE ROTOR SYSTEM. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SKID BUT CONTINUED TO PIVOT TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER WAS FACING APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES FROM HIS ORIGINAL DIRECTION OF TAKE OFF WHEN HE DIVERTED HIS EFFORTS TOWARD RETURNING TO RAW HIDE. THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETED SLOW 360 DEGREE TURN AND THEN MADE TWO QUICKER 360S. THE AIRCRAFT ROTOR RPM CONTINUED TO DECREASE AND ALTITUDE CONTINUED TO BE LOST. AT APPROXIMATELY 5800 RPM AND 100 FEET ALTITUDE THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER DETERMINED THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO MAKE IT BACK TO RAW HIDE. HE ROLLED OFF THE THROTTLE AND ATTEMPTED AN AUTOROTATION SOME 75 FEET ABOVE THE TERRAIN. THE AIRCRAFT FELL SOME 40 TO 50 FEET DUE TO MINIMUM ROTOR RPM AND LOW AIRSPEED, AND A POSSIBLE EARLY PITCH PULL. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED UPRIGHT AND THERE WAS NO FIRE. PILOTS SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF THE FUEL, BATTERY, GENERATORS, AND INVERTERS. PEDAL CONTROL WAS NON EXISTENT AFTER THE AIRCRAFT LEFT THE PINNACLE. TRANSLATIONAL LIFT WAS NEVER OBTAINED. THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED SOME HALF MILE FROM ITS TAKE OFF POINT.\\
Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 69-16414
The Army purchased this helicopter 0270
Total flight hours at this point: 00000918
Date: 06/16/1971
Unit: F/8 CAV
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BT058744
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 69-16414
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 0270.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 197002 0 0 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 197003 0 0 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 197004 0 0 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 197005 8 8 WACYD0 D 1-1 CAV AMD VIETNAM RVN 197006 120 128 WACYD0 D 1-1 CAV AMD VIETNAM RVN 197007 129 257 WACYD0 D 1-1 CAV AMD VIETNAM RVN 197008 101 358 WACYD0 D 1-1 CAV AMD VIETNAM RVN 197009 80 438 WACYD0 D 1-1 CAV AMD VIETNAM RVN 197010 30 468 WACYD0 D 1-1 CAV AMD VIETNAM RVN 197011 49 517 WACYD0 D 1-1 CAV AMD VIETNAM RVN 197012 55 572 WACYD0 D 1-1 CAV AMD VIETNAM RVN 197101 24 596 WG20AA F TRP 8TH CAV VIETNAM RVN 197102 73 669 WG20AA F TRP 8TH CAV VIETNAM RVN 197103 79 748 WG20AA F TRP 8TH CAV VIETNAM RVN 197104 74 822 WG20AA F TRP 8TH CAV VIETNAM RVN 197105 51 873 WG20AA F TRP 8TH CAV VIETNAM RVN 197106 45 918 WG20AA F TRP 8TH CAV VIETNAM RVN
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Printed from databases on: 05/31/2005
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