Helicopter UH-1H 68-16578

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16578
The Army purchased this helicopter 1269
Total flight hours at this point: 00000139
Date: 02/09/70
Accident case number: 700209061
Unit: 170 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Camp Holloway in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 10000
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.

Crew Members:
AC O3 ODONNELL MD

Accident Summary:

ON TWO ATTEMPTS TO COMPL T/D THE BLADES APPARENTLY MADE CONTACTWITH TREE AC WAS UNAWARE OF STRIKE NO SOUND OR VIB WITHIN ACFT UNABLE TO LAND ON FIRST ATTEMPT & MADE A GO AROUND & THE TRACK VEHICLES IN THE LZ ENLARGED IT SO HE WAS ABLE TO LAND ICDT DAM \

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16578
The Army purchased this helicopter 1269
Total flight hours at this point: 00000175
Date: 04/03/70
Accident case number: 700403031
Unit: 170 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Kontum in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 3000
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.

Crew Members:
AC O3 LEONARD LA

Accident Summary:

ACFT WAS ON EMERG RECOV FOR DOWNED CREW HAD EXPEDITE & REC M/RSTRIKE CAUSING ICDT DMG \

Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16578
The Army purchased this helicopter 1269
Total flight hours at this point: 00000175
Date: 04/19/70
Incident number: 70041919.KIA
Unit: 170 AHC
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Logistics Support mission for Resupply , to Forward Area.
While on Landing Zone this helicopter was on the Ground at 0000 feet and 000 knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: YB905415
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Explosive Weapon; Non-Artillery launched or static weapons containing explosive charges. (75MM RR)
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 01 DOI, 03 INJ . .
Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNNF, CASRP, JSIDR (Operations Report. Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory

The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: SP4 Clarence Edward Umstot
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 04/19/70 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at death: 19.7
Date of Birth: 08/24/50
Home City: Cumberland, MD
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 170 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 11W-026
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16578
SSN: 233784744
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67A1F = Aircraft Maintenance Apprentice
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: unknown
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew chief
Started Tour: 07/14/69
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 01
Location: Kontum Province II Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Roman Catholic
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 10/18/98

Name: SP4 Gerald Dan Gray
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 04/19/70 while performing the duty of Gunner.
Died 1 days later on 04/20/70.
Age at death: 19.0
Date of Birth: 04/09/51
Home City: Commerce City, CO
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 170 AHC
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 11W-027
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 68-16578
SSN: 523766465
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67N20 = UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: door gunner
Started Tour: 08/03/69
"Official" listing: ground casualty
Length of service: 01
Location: Kontum Province II Corps.
Reason: burns
Casualty type: Hostile - died of wounds
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Baptist - other groups
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 10/18/98

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 68-16578
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 1269.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
6912   0    0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS      ITR CONUS                   AVCOMITR
7001   4    4 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7002 135  139 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7003  36  175 WC4YAA 170 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7004   0  175 WC5CAA 604 TRANS CO     VIETNAM                     RVN

Please send additions or corrections to:

Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870

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Printed from databases on: 02/27/99

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