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Helicopter UH-1H 68-16447

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Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16447

The Army purchased this helicopter 1169
Total flight hours at this point: 00000841
Date: 07/23/1970
Accident case number: 700723331 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 134^th AHC
The station for this helicopter was Phu Hiep in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 1
costing 244345
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:

CP W1 Eedward JD
MN O2 Perry LH

Passengers:

E5 DU Nappier, TO, G;

Accident Summary:

The purpose of the flight was to test the pedal rigging after the pitch change link on the white blade had been changed. lT Perry had supervised the installation of the new pitch change link and had signed off the work in the log book. He then began the test flight. IT Perry elected to fly over the active runway at Phu Hiep in order to test the pedal rigging. The runway in use was 22. Following standard test flight procedures for the 134th AHC Co, IT Perry set his aircraft up at 105 knots 300' at approximately 35 lbs of torque heading straight down the runway. Half way down the runway a violent shudder was felt through out the aircraft. Immediately the nose yawed sharply to the right. the yaw was of such severity that the co-pilot's door flew open caused by the sudden change of direction. as IT Perry tried to correct the yaw he noticed the nose dipping slightly & he suspected tail rotor failure. He imediately started a right hand autorotational turn back toward the airfield to attempt a running landing. At approximately 300' and into the right turn, the aircraft went into anuncontrollable descending spin. The spin, however, was not violent but the aircraft was falling rapidly and it had apparently lost just about all of its forward airspeed. The aircraft hit a wooden revetment in the mogas area of Phu Hiep AAF. The aircraft impacted on its left side and came to rest on top of the revetment exactly where it struck the ground. When everything stopped moving, the 3 crew members scrambled from the wreckage. There were no injuries and no fire. of the wreckage. The blade was thrown during flight. The other blade, also thrown, was never found. (see attached photos).\\

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16447

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 1169.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.