Accident Summary:
DESCRIPTION OF MISHAP:\\ ON ^21 DEC 72^, ^WO1 THOMAS G. KUPCHO^, AIRCRAFT COMMANDER, ^1LT WILLIAM S. BAXTER^, PILOT, ^SP5 CHARLES D. THOMPSON^, CREW CHIEF, AND ^SP4 BRUCE DARNY^ WERE ASSIGNED AS THE CREW OF MISSION P-4 FOR THE ^57TH AHC, 17 CAG^. THE CREW ARRIVED ON THE FLIGHT LINE AT VARYING TIMES BETWEEN ^0550^ AND ^0610^ TO BEGIN THE PREFLIGHT. UPON HIS ARRIVAL ON THE FLIGHT LINE ^WO1 KUPCHO^ WAS ISSUED THE MISSION SHEET FOR PO4 BY ^57TH OPERATIONS^. THE MISSIONS CONSISTED OF SEVERAL PICK-UPS AND /OR DROP-OFFS OF PERSONNEL AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT ^PLEIKU^ PROVINCE. PREFLIGHT WAS COMPLETED ABOUT ^0645^, AND THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AT ^0650^ ENROUTE TO THE ^II CORPS^ UPPER HELIPAD. PASSENGER PICK-UP WAS ACCOMPLISHED, AND THE MISSION DEPARTED FOR ^THAN AN AT 0705^. THESE PAX WERE DROPPED OFF AT ABOUT ^0720^, AND THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FOR A PICK-UP AT COORDINATES ^YA 915274^ (THE ACCIDENT SITE). RADIO CONTACT WITH THE ^LZ^ REVEALED, HOWEVER, THAT THE PAX WAS NOT READY FOR PICK-UP AND THE APPROACH WAS ABORTED. THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO ^PLEIKU^ AND LANDED AT THE ^II CORPS^ UPPER PAD AND DISCHARGED ITS PAX. THE AIRCRAFT THEN RETURNED TO ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^, REFUELED, AND STOOD-BY FOR A ^0830^ PICK-UP AT ^II CORPS UPPER^. AT ^0825^ THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^ ON ITS SECOND MISSION. AT ^0830^ SEVERAL PAX WERE PICKED-UP AT THE ^II CORPS^ UPPER PAD, AND THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FOR ^BAN ME THUOT^. DROP-OFF OF THE PAX WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT ^BAN ME THOUT^ AT ^0930^, AND SOME CARGO WAS TAKEN ON BOARD TO BE DELIVERED TO ^II CORPS^ UPPER. THIS DELIVERY WAS ACCOMPLISHED AT ^1025^ AND THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^ AT ^1030^ FOR REFUELING AND SHUTDOWN. HOWEVER, ^57TH OPERATIONS^ CONTACTED ^WO1 KUPCHO^ BY RADIO AND TOLD HIM THAT HE WAS TO PERFORM AN UNSCHEDULED MISSION. THIS MISSION CONSISTED OF A PAX PICK-UP AT ^II CORPS^ UPPER PAD AT ^1040^ AND TO FLY AS DIRECTED. REFUELING WAS EXPEDITED AND THE AIRCRAFT AGAIN DEPARTED ^CAMP HOLLOWAY^. THE PICK-UP WAS MADE, AND THE PAX, ^COL FORMAN^, DIRECTED ^WO1 KUPCHO^ TO FLY TO THE NEWLY OPENED FIREBASE AT YA ^915274^ SO THAT HE COULD VISIT. UPON ARRIVING OVER THE FIREBASE, ^WO1 KUPCHO^ CONTACTED THE AMERICAN ADVISOR ON THE GROUND WHO SAID THAT HE HAD MARKED THE ^LZ^ WITH A PANEL, AND THAT HE WOULD ACT AS GROUND GUIDE. ^WO1 KUPCHO^ MADE A HIGH RECON OF THE AREA DURING WHICH HE LOST APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET OF ALTITUDE. HE THEN BEGAN HIS APPROACH INTO THE ^LZ^ BY HEADING 180 DEGREES AT AN AIRSPEED OF 110 KNOTS AND A RATE OF DESCENT SLIGHTLY IN EXCESS OF 3500 FT PER MINUTE. NEARING THE GROUND, ^WO1 KUPCHO^ MADE A 180 DEGREE LEFT TURN BACK TO A HEADING OF 360 DEGREES. AT THIS POINT, HE WAS LOW LEVEL ALONG A SMALL DIRT ROAD INTO THE FIREBASE. IT WAS THIS ROAD WHICH WAS TO BE THE ^LZ^. ^WO1 KUPCHO^ LOW LEVELED ALONG THIS ROAD FOR APPROXIMATELY 200 METERS, DURING WHICH TIME HE WAS DECELERATING. ARRIVING AT THE INTENDED POINT OF TOUCHDOWN, ^WO1 KUPCHO^ TERMINATED HIS APPROACH AT A HIGH HOVER DUE TO NUMEROUS OBSTACLES IN THE AREA. JUST AS HE WAS MOVING THE AIRCRAFT FORWARD SEVERAL FEET TO A BETTER TOUCHDOWN AREA, THE TAILROTOR CONTACTED CONCERTINA WIRE CAUSING A TAILROTOR FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT YAWED VIOLENTLY TO THE RIGHT. ^WO1 KUPCHO^ IMMEDIATELY ROLLED OFF THE THROTTLE AND BOTTOMED THE COLLECTIVE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WITH THE GROUND WHILE TURNING THE CLOCKWISE DIRECTION AND IN A TAIL LOW CONFIGURATION. AT IMPACT, ^COL FORMAN^, THE PASSENGER, WAS THROWN OUT THE LEFT HAND CARGO DOOR DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE HAD REMOVED HIS SEAT BELT AND GOTTEN FROM HIS SEAT AS THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A HOVER. UPON CONTACTING THE GROUND, THE CREW MADE A DISTRESS CALL AND THEN SHUT THE AIRCRAFT DOWN. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS ANOTHER AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE ^LZ^ AND EXTRACTED ALL OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT. ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE IS 1361 FEET, DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH WAS 3040 FEET, AND THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE.\\
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 69-15618
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 0870.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 7008 0 0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 7009 9 9 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7010 61 70 WFAJAA HHC 10 AVN BN VIETNAM RVN 7011 53 123 WFAJAA HHC 10 AVN BN VIETNAM RVN 7012 65 188 WFAJAA HHC 10 AVN BN VIETNAM RVN 7101 96 284 WFAJAA 10 CAB HHC VIETNAM RVN 7102 101 385 WFAJAA 10 CAB HHC VIETNAM RVN 7103 82 467 WFAJAA 10 CAB HHC VIETNAM RVN 7104 71 538 WFAJAA 10 CAB HHC VIETNAM RVN 7105 55 593 WFAJAA 10 CAB HHC VIETNAM RVN 7106 70 663 WFAJAA 10 CAB HHC VIETNAM RVN 7107 108 771 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7108 93 864 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7109 60 924 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7110 52 976 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7111 62 1038 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7112 0 1038 WAX6AA 92 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7201 37 1075 WC68AA 3 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7202 131 1206 WC68AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7203 94 1300 WC68AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7204 78 1378 WC68AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7205 70 1448 WC68AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7206 79 1527 WC68AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7207 77 1604 WC68AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7208 41 1645 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7209 49 1694 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7210 74 1768 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7211 62 1830 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7212 49 1879 WAX5AA 57 AHC VIETNAM RVN 7301 0 1879 W0Y6AA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM
Please send additions or corrections to:
Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870
Printed from databases on: 07/04/2000
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