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.
Additional information is available on KIAs at
http://www.coffeltdatabase.org
Please send additions or corrections to: The VHPA Webmaster Gary
Roush.
KIA statistics
Return to the KIA name list
Return to the KIA panel date index
Date posted on this site: 05/25/2020
Copyright © 1998 - 2020 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
Return to
the Memorial Roster