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Helicopter OH-6A 68-17186

Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 68-17186

The Army purchased this helicopter 0569

Total flight hours at this point: 00000264

Date: 10/29/1969

Incident number: 69102929.KIA

Unit: D/3/5 CAV

This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY

This was a Recon mission for Armed Recon

While in Target Area this helicopter was Attacking at 0050 feet and 060 knots.

South Vietnam

UTM grid coordinates: VR963150 (To see this location on a map, go to https://legallandconverter.com/p50.html and search on Grid Reference 48PVR963150)

Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.

causing an Explosion.

Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL

The effectiveness of the flak vests protecting personnel was unknown or not reported.

Casualties = 01 DOI, 01 KIA . . Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0

The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.

Both mission and flight capability were terminated.

Burned

costing 0

Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNNF, DYNAL, MISC, HUGHS, CASRP, Tony Spletstoser (Operations Report. Miscellaneous. Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Casualty Report. )

Summary: After making repeated contact with the VC and reporting that the Observer was hit bad, the aircraft exploded in mid-air.

Loss to Inventory and Helicopter was not recovered

 

Crew Members:

P WO1 WHEELER CONRAD JACK KIA

O SP5 GREENO GERALD THOMAS JR KIA


War Story:

What follows is an edited version of a Copyright 1997 article written by James R. "Tony Tiger" Spletstoser that was posted on the D/3/5th Cav Website; see Hotlink: A. This article is part of his

 unpublished book, "Hit's Through the Chin Bubble." He was a civilian employed by Dynalectron Corp. who had a contract to collect Battle Damage Data for Aberdeen Proving Ground.

He was trained as a fixed wing pilot, an aircraft mechanic, and photographer for service in Vietnam.

Link to Tony's fairly accurate narrative


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