Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17858

The Army purchased this helicopter 1068
Total flight hours at this point: 00000957
Date: 09/26/1970
Incident number: 700926041ACD Accident case number: 700926041 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 610 TC CO
The station for this helicopter was Da Nang in South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: AT900968
Number killed in accident = 4 . . Injured = 2 . . Passengers = 2
costing 447145
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:
P CPT CRAW DONALD DWIGHT JR KIA
CP W2 WJ LOYD
CE E4 JS DERBY
G SP4 MALMAY THOMAS SIMON KIA

Passengers and/or other participants:
CPT BOSTICK BENJAMIN R IV, AR, PX, KIA
CAC BRADSHAW DR, CV, PX, KIA

Accident Summary:

UH-1H 67-17858 HAD BEEN FLOWN TO QUANG TRI TO TAKE A PILOT AND CO-PILOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF FERRYING UH-1H 67-16642 BACK TO RED BEACH FOR MAINTENANCE. BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE ENROUTE TO RED BEACH, FLYING LOW LEVEL ALONG THE BEACH, WITH UH-1H 67-17858 FLYING LEAD AND 67-16642 WAS FOLLOWING APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE TO THE REAR. APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES ESE OF PHU BAI, RVN BOTH AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS. UH-1H SN 67-17858 WAS DEEP INTO THE RAIN SHOWER WHEN THE DECISION WAS MADE TO MAKE A 180 DEGREE TURN. UH-1H SN 67-16642 MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO THE RIGHT (INLAND) AND UH-1H SN 67-17858 MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN TO THE LEFT (OVER THE OCEAN) AND FLEW INTO THE OCEAN WHILE EXECUTING THE 180 DEGREE TURN. THE UH-1H SN 67-17858 CRASHED IN THE OCEAN AND SANK ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.\

This record was last updated on 09/20/1998

Donald Dwight Craw, Jr