Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 65-10043
The Army purchased this helicopter 0766
Total flight hours at this point: 00000396
Date: 03/20/1967
Incident number: 670320011ACD Accident case number: 670320011 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 57 MED DET
South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 1
costing 228554
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. )
Summary: Crashed into the West side of Nui Ba Den during a night medivac in route to pick up an injured soldier.
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
AC WO1 BUSH EDWARD L KIA
P 1LT LICHTE JACK ROWLEY JR KIA
CE PFC HERRIN CLIFFORD RAY KIA
MD SP4 FILLMORE RONALD RICHARD KIA
Accident Summary:
Aircraft apparently flew into a mountain during a night medevac mission.
War Story:
Richard Perez CRUZ was critically injured LZ Gold during the predawn hours of 03/20/1967 by a falling flare cannister. The C Battery medic who treated him, Mr. Eugene Pacinella related how an aeromedical evacuation helicopter on field standby at Long Binh was requested for CRUZ only to learn later the aircraft crashed into a mountain during the mission. No other medivac would be sent until after daybreak; CRUZ reportedly expired on the second flight.
USARV Station List says 57th Med Det was based at Tan Son Nhut, but it may have had elements at other locations. That seems likely because CRUZ was at FSB GOLD approx 16 KM northeast of Nui Ba Den Mountain, and UH-1D 65-10043 hit the western slope of Nui Ba Den. If the helo was coming from the Saigon area (TSN or Long Binh) it would have no reason to be west of Nui Ba Den ... more likely it was coming from one of the air fields near Tay Ninh City. Tay Ninh West seems likely. From Ken Davis, September 2024.
This record was last updated on 09/20/2024
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Date posted on this site: 10/25/2024
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