Helicopter UH-1D 66-00937

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-00937
The Army purchased this helicopter 1166
Total flight hours at this point: 00001447
Date: 08/19/1968
Incident number: 680819221ACD Accident case number: 680819221 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: D/3/5 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Bear Cat in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XS076571 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PXS076571)
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 2
costing 409716
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 KR LAKE
P W1 CB MCCLOSKEY
CE SGT BROGOITTI BRUCE CLAYTON KIA
G SGT HAWKINS DONALD DALE KIA

Passengers and/or other participants:
SFC MILBOURNE RALPH WILLIAM, AR, PX, KIA
SSG TRUJILLO VICTOR DAVID, AR, PX, KIA

Accident Summary:

The aircraft departed Dong Tam airfield on a 'people sniffer' mission. The aircraft departed the area southeast of the fixed wing strip, known as the south forty on a westerly heading and climbed to an altitude of approximately 1300 feet.
The aircraft was following the command and control helicopter, but was not in formation with it.
At approximately 23 miles west north west of Dong Tam, the command and control aircraft with WO McCloskey at the controls entered a turn to the left, establishing a 20 degree angle of bank and maintaining approximately 85 knots airspeed.
While in the turn, the tail rotor drive shaft sheared due to a ball peen hammer left under the drive shaft cowling, rubbing against the drive shaft causing metal fatigue.
After tail rotor failure, the airspeed decreased from 85 knots to 40 knots causing the aircraft to spin to the right.
Application of forward cyclic failed to increase the airspeed and the aircraft continued in a right hand spin.
Just prior to impact, the aircraft was leveled and impacted the ground in a level attitude.
Upon impact, it burst into flames and rolled on its left side. The rolling was the only movement the aircraft made after impacting the ground.

This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
This information is available on CD-ROM.

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Date posted on this site: 05/25/2020

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