Helicopter UH-1H 67-17483

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17483
The Army purchased this helicopter 0568
Total flight hours at this point: 00000735
Date: 02/13/1969
Incident number: 690213291ACD Accident case number: 690213291 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 176 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Chu Lai in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 7 . . Passengers = 6
costing 286745
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
AC W1 LILLY RH
P O2 CHRISTIE JA
CE E4 MAGINITY DM
G E4 KETTLE BL

Passengers:
E3 R TANKS, PAX, D; E3 RE FINLEY, PAX, D; SGT STOCKS WILLIAM REED, AR, PX, KIA; E4 DJ LIPMAN, PAX, D; E5 H RABELO, PAX, D; E4 WD ANDERSON, PAX, D;

Accident Summary:

THE ^UH-1H A/C^, PILOTED BY ^1LT CHRISTIE^ AND COMMANDED BY ^WO1 LILLY^, WAS ON A ROUTINE RESUPPLY MISSION FOR MARINE ELEMENTS OF THE ^1ST COMBINED ACTION GROUP^ UNDER DIRECT SUPPORT OF THE ^1/6 INFANTRY^ OF THE ^198TH LIB^ AT ^LZ BAYONET^. FROM ^BAYONET^, CARGO WAS OFF LOADED AT FOUR LANDING ZONES PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN AT ^CAP 113 LZ^ WHERE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. AS THE A/C APPROACHED THE ^CAP 113 LZ^, LOW LEVEL FROM A WESTERLY DIRECTION, SMOKE WAS POPPED AND THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER AND THE PILOT MADE A PARTIAL VISUAL RECONNAISSANCE ON SHORT FINAL. AN APPROACH WAS MADE BY THE PILOT TO THE POINT DESIGNATED IN ^TAB E^ AT WHICH TIME CARGO WAS OFF LOADED. THE PILOT THEN STABILIZED THE AIRCRAFT AT A 2 TO 3 FOOT HOVER. THE TORQUEMETER WAS CHECKED AT 35 PSI BY THE AC. NEITHER THE PILOT OR AC CHECKED THE N1 READING AT A HOVER OR ON TAKEOFF FROM THE LZ. ALSO, NONE OF THE CREW WAS AWARE OF THE AMOUNT OF PASSENGERS OR CARGO ON BOARD PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THE PILOT THEN APPLIED POWER TO LIFT THE AIRCRAFT OFF IN THE DIRECTION OF TAKEOFF SHOWN IN^TAB E^IN A NEARLY VERTICAL TAKEOFF. THE AC CHECKED TORQUE AGAIN AND CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT OF AN ELECTRICAL LINE POLE TO THE LEFT FRONT AND TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO THE INSTRUMENTS. THE PILOT WAS SIMULTANEOUSLY CLEARING THE AIRCRAFT OF THE LARGE TREE TO THE RIGHT FRONT AND PULLING IN MORE POWER. AS MORE POWER WAS APPLIED, THE PILOT NOTICED THE AIRCRAFT TENDED TO STABILIZE IN ALTITUDE AND YAWED TO THE LEFT. AT THIS POINT THE AIRCRAFT SEEMED TO SETTLE SLIGHTLY AND A LOUD CRACKING SOUND WAS HEARD RAPIDLY SUCCEEDED BY A SECOND LOUD CRACK. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SETTLED HARD TO THE GROUND ON THE RIGHT SKID AND CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. THE AC TURNED THE FUEL AND BATTERY OFF AND EXITED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH THE CARGO DOOR. LIKEWISE THE PILOT, CREW, AND PASSENGERS, EXCEPT THE PASSENGER PINNED IN THE WRECKAGE AND FATALLY INJURED, EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE FATALLY INJURED PASSENGER WAS PULLED FREE AS THE AIRCRAFT SLOWLY STARTED TO BURN. AFTER ALL PERSONNEL HAD EVACUATED THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY, AMMUNITION AND FUEL ON BOARD EXPLODED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS A TOTAL LOSS AS A RESULT OF THE FIRE. A FEW MINUTES LATER ALL PERSONNEL, EXCEPT ONE PASSENGER, WERE EXTRACTED BY MEDEVAC. THAT INDIVIDUAL LATER REPORTED FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT.\\

This record was last updated on 09/20/1998

The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: SGT William Reed Stocks (posthumously promoted)
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 02/13/1969 while performing the duty of Passenger.
Age at death: 21.8
Date of Birth: 05/09/1947
Home City: Glen Burnie, MD
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 198 BDE 23 INF
Major organization: 198th Light Infantry Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 32W-029
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 67-17483
Service number: 11567580
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 76Y20 = Unit Supply Specialist
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: passenger
Started Tour: 09/30/1968
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
Length of service: 02
Location: Quang Tin Province I Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died illness or injuries
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Methodist (Evangelical United Brethren)
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 07/29/1995

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17483
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 0568.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
6805   0    0 W0Y6AA INTRANSIT        IN TRANSIT                  AVCOMCTR
6806  15   15 WC44AA 176 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN     
6807 103  118 WC44AA 176 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN     
6808 116  234 WC44AA 176 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN     
6809 101  335 WC44AA 176 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN     
6810 100  435 WC44AA 176 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN     
6811  40  475 WC44AA 176 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN     
6812 134  609 WC44AA 176 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN     
6901 126  735 WC44AA 176 AVN CO       VIETNAM                     RVN

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Painted Post, NY 14870

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Printed from databases on: 08/09/1999

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