Accident Summary:
ON THE AFTERNOON OF 17 JANUARY 1970, 1LT MASAK AND HIS CREW WERE PARTICIPATING IN A COMBAT ASSAULT FOR A RECONNAISSANCE IN FORCE FROM LANDING ZONE HARD TIMES TO THE LANDING ZONE AT BR 584765. 1LT MASAK'S SHIP WAS CHALK FOUR OF THE FLIGHT TO GO INTO THE LANDING ZONE, ONE SHIP AT A TIME. HE CAME INTO THE LANDING ZONE ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY DUE WEST. WHEN HE GOT INTO THE LANDING ZONE HE FOUND OUT THE OBSTACLES IN THE LANDING SOME WOULD IT DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN, SO HE BROUGHT IT TO A HOVER. HE THEN TURNED HIS NOSE ABOUT 45 DEG NORTH AND BACKED HIS AIRCRAFT UP SO THE TROOPS WOULD NOT HAVE TO JUMP INTO THE BOMB CRATER WHICH WAS ABOUT 15 FEET WIDE AND 7 FEET DEEP. AT THIS TIME HIS TAIL WAS BETWEEN THE TREE AND THE STUMP WHICH WAS 3 FEET HIGH. THE STUMP WAS THE ONLY OBSTACLE IN THE CENTER OF THE LANDING ZONE EXCEPT THE BOMB CRATER. AFTER THE TROOPS JUMPED OFF, 1LT MASAK STARTED TO BRING HIS AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE LANDING ZONE WHILE HIS CREW WATCHED TO SEE IF HE WOULD CLEAR THE LANDING ZONE. ON TAKE OFF HIS TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE STUMP, HE LOST ANTITORQUE CONTROL AND STARTED TO SPIN TO THE RIGHT. AFTER HE WAS SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL HE ENTERED AUTOROTATION AND HELD THE AIRCRAFT TO THE NORTHERN SIDE OF THE LNADING ZOONE TO KEEP FROM HITTING ANY TROOPS. WHEN HE TOUCHED DOWN, THE SLOPE WAS TO STEEP FOR THE AIRCRAFT TO REMAIN UPRIGHT AND IT CONSEQUENTLY ROLLED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE CREW EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE PICKED UP BY ANOTHER UH-1H THAT CAME WHEN IT WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CREW WAS TAKEN TO CAMP HOLLOWAY TO BE EXAMINED FOR POSSIBLE INJURY.\\
War Story:
The 119th AHC unit history records: During a troop insert
7 KM north of LZ HARDTIMES, Gator 464, while being cleared into an LZ hit a tree
with the tail rotor. The aircraft lost its tail rotor instantly and LT Masak cut
the throttle and initiated a hovering autorotation. The pilot lost control and
the aircraft rolled. The aircraft was a total loss, but there were no injuries
to the pilots, crew, or the six infantry pax on board. Editors Note: The tail
number 67-17719 continued to log time after this event such would suggest that
it was slung out and repaired
This record was last updated on 07/05/98
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16464
The Army
purchased this helicopter 1169
Total flight hours at this point:
00000875
Date: 720200
Unit: 605 TC CO
South Vietnam
UTM grid
coordinates: YS005775
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the
incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss
database. Also: VNAF (South Vietnamese Air Force. )
Loss to Inventory
Information on Vietnam Air Force helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16464
The
Army purchased this helicopter 1169
Total flight hours at this point:
00000921
Date: 05/12/72
Accident case number: 720512041
Unit: 605 TC
CO
The station for this helicopter was Marble Mountain in
Number killed
in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing
152321
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army
Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC O2 GENNA JA
P
W1 LANNING RE
CE E5 SPECK LT
G E4 YOUNGBLOOD GM
Accident
Summary:
ON 12 MAY 1972, A UH-1H, ^SN 68-164648^ FLOWN BY ^1LT JOSEPH A GENNA^, AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, AND ^WO1 RICHARD G. LANNING,^ PILOT, WAS SCHEDULED TO CONDUCT A VISUAL RECONNAISSANCE WEST OF DA NANG. AN AH-1G ^#67-15513^ FLOWN BY ^CW2 ROBERT P. WHITFOR,^ PILOT, AND ^1LT WALTER D. SPODECK,^ GUNNER, WAS ALSO PART OF THE TEAM. THE MISSION WENT WITHOUT INCIDENT AND THE TEAM RETURNED TO MMAAF. AFTER REFUELING THE AH-1G WENT TO THE SABRE REARM REVETMENT AND THE UH-1H WENT TO ITS PARKING REVETMENT ADJACENT TO THE SABRE REARM POINT. WHEN THE UH-1H REACHED THE REVETMENT THE AH-1G WAS ALREADY AT FLIGHT IDLE IN THE REARM POINT AND ITS ROTOR BLADES SLIGHTLY OVERLAPPED THE WALL BETWEEN THE REVETMENTS. AFTER ^1LT GENNA^ ENTERED HIS REVETMENT, HAVING BEEN CLEARED ON BOTH SIDES OF HIS AIRCRAFT BY HIS CREWMEMBERS, HE PROCEEDED TO SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN OVER THE CENTER LINE. AS THE HEELS OF HIS SKIDS TOUCHED THE GROUND EVERYONE HEARD A LOUD NOISE. ^1LT GENNA^ SET HIS AIRCRAFT DOWN AND ASKED HIS CREW WHAT THE NOISE WAS. THEY EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO CHECK FOR POSSIBLE FOD BUT SAW NOTHING. ^CW2 WHITFORD^ REALIZED A BLADE STRIKE HAD OCCURRED AND RAN HIS AIRCRAFT BACK TO FULL RPM. HIS GUNNER, MOVING FROM HIS INITIAL POSITION AT THE NOSE OF THE AH-1G ROUND THE REVETMENT TO A LOCATION BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT OBSERVED 1-1 1/2' CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE ROTOR BLADES AND INFORMED THE AH-1G PILOT. ^CW2 WHITFORD,^ THEREFORE, ELECTED TO MOVE HIS AIRCRAFT SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT UNTIL HIS ROTOR BLADES NO LONGER OVERLAPPED THE REVETMENT WALL. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE SHUT DOWN AND THE DAMAGE WAS ASSESSED.\\
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number
68-16464
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 1169.
Please provide any additional information on this
helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6911 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 6912 92 92 WAYAAA 119 AVN CO VIETNAM RVN 7001 0 92 WC5CAA 604 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 7002 0 92 WC5CAA 604 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 7003 0 92 WC5CAA 604 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 7004 0 92 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 7005 0 92 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7006 0 92 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7007 0 92 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7008 0 92 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7009 0 92 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7010 0 92 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7011 0 92 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 7012 0 92 W2WJAA BELL HCPTR BAILMENT FT WORTH AVCOM 7101 0 92 NAT&GUARD NAT GDZI 7102 0 92 NAT&GUARD NAT GDZI 7103 0 92 W2WJAA BEL HEL BAILMENT FT WORTH AVSCOM 7104 4 96 W2WJAA BEL HEL BAILMENT FT WORTH AVSCOM 7105 99 195 WC08AA 135 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7106 93 288 WC08AA 135 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7107 99 387 WC08AA 135 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7108 102 489 WC08AA 135 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7109 96 585 WC08AA 135 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7110 99 684 WC08AA 135 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7111 99 783 WC08AA 135 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7112 68 851 WC08AA 135 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7201 12 863 WC5DAA 605 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 7202 12 875 WC5DAA 605 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 7203 0 875 WC5DAA 605 TC DS VIETNAM RVN 7204 0 875 WC5DAA 388 TC CO VIETNAM RVN 7205 46 921 WC5DAA 388 TC CO VIETNAM RVN 7206 21 942 WC5DAA 388 TC CO VIETNAM RVN 7207 41 983 WC5DAA 388 TC CO VIETNAM RVN 7208 47 1030 WFAMAA D TRP 1SQ 17 AC VIETNAM RVN 7209 47 1077 WFAMAA D TRP 1SQ 17 AC VIETNAM RVN 7210 36 1113 WFAMAA D TRP 1SQ 17 AC VIETNAM RVN 7211 102 1215 WFAMAA D TRP 1SQ 17 AC VIETNAM RVN 7212 49 1264 WFAMAA D TRP 1SQ 17 AC VIETNAM RVN 7301 36 1300 WFAMAA D TRP 1SQ 17 AC VIETNAM RVN
Please send additions or corrections to:
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