Helicopter
UH-1H 66-16412

Information on U.S. Army helicopter
UH-1H tail number 66-16492
The Army purchased this helicopter 0667
Total flight hours at this point: 00001915
Date: 08/15/69
Incident number: 690815081ACD Accident case number: 690815081
Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: A/25 AVN 25 INF
The station for this helicopter was Cu Chi in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 1
costing 289345
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:
AC W2 MITCHELL CE
P W1 FOSTER GM
CE E4 HASENBALG RL
G PFC LANDERS JACKY EUGENE KIA

Passengers:
O3 TF WHAT, FCO, G;

Accident Summary:

THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING OUT OF CU CHI BASE CAMP,
REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM, ON FLAMEBATH MISSIONS.
AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 HOURS THE CREW WAS SCRAMBLED
FOR A FLAMEBATH MISSION IN SUPPORT OF ARVN FORCES IN TAY NINH
PROVINCE. THE CREW CARRIED ONE FLAMEBATH SORTIE FROM CU CHI BASE
CAMP NORTHWEST RESUPPLY. AFTER DROPPING THAT SORTIE,
THEY PROCEEDED TO TAY NINH WEST AND LOADED THEIR SECOND
FLAMEBATH SORTIE. AFTER DROPPING THEIR SECOND SORTIE THE
CREW RETURNED TO TAY NINH WEST FOR THEIR THIRD SORTIE.

NO CONTACT HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED WITH THE TAY NINH WEST
FLAMEBATH CONTROLLING AGENCY CONSEQUENTLY,
HERE HAD BEEN NO GROUND CREW AT THE FLAMEBATH SITE TO ASSIST
IN ATTACHING THE FLAMEBATH BARRELS TO THE CARGO HOOK.
WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED TO PICK UP THE FINAL SORTIE, THE PILOT,
AS DONE ON THE PREVIOUS SORTIE, SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN
AND LET HIS CREW CHIEF OFF TO LOAD THE AIRCRAFT.

THE CREW CHIEF DIRECTED THE PILOT TO A POSITION OVER THE
FLAMEBATH LOAD AND HOOKED THE ROPE TO THE CARGO HOOK,
MEANWHILE, THE GUNNER HAD DISENGAGED HIS SEAT BELT AND WAS
LEANING OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT SO THAT HE COULD WATCH THE
BARRELS AND GUIDE THE PILOT. AFTER HOOKING UP THE CARGO,
THE CREW CHIEF CLIMBED ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT WHILE IT
WAS STILL AT A HOVER.

HE PLUGGED IN THE MIKE CORD AND AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME
INSTANT, BOTH HE AND THE GUNNER NOTICED THE BARRELS
WERE FALLING FROM THE ROPES AND THE FLARES ATTACHED
TO THEM HAD IGNITED. THE GUNNER INFORMED THE PILOTS OF WHAT
WAS TAKING PLACE AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR THE AREA.

THE PILOT NOSED THE AIRCRAFT OVER IN AN EXCESSIVELY NOSE
LOW ATTITUDE AND AFTER TRAVELING SOME 25 METERS,
HAD TO FLARE THE AIRCRAFT TO AVOID STRIKING A DIRT MOUND IN HIS PATH
HIS FLARE WAS EXCESSIVE AND CAUSED HIM TO LOSE ANTI-TORQUE CONTROL.
THE TAIL ROTOR STRIKE CAUSED PARTIAL SEPARATION OF THE VERTICAL
FIN AND TAIL ROTOR FROM THE TAIL SECTION.
THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED I N ITS FORWARD FLIGHT PATH TOWARD
A LARGE WATER TRAILER AND THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT CYCLIC TO
AVOID THE WATER TRAILER, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SPIN TO THE RIGHT
THROWING THE VERTICAL FIN AND TAIL ROTOR APPROXIMATELY
SIXTY METERS WHEN RIGHT CYCLIC WAS APPLIED AND THE AIRCRAFT
STARTED TO SPIN, THE PILOT LOST CYCLIC CONTROL THIS CAUSED
THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO MAKE GROUND CONTACT ON THE LEFT
SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THIS OCCURED, THE AIRCRAFT WAS
THROWN FORWARD NOSE SPINNING TO THE LEFT COMING TO REST
ON ITS LEFT SKID. THE TRANSMISSION WAS PULLED OUT OF THE TOP
OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY TWO METERS
FROM THE MAIN PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT.

THE GUNNER WAS STILL WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FOUND
LYING NEXT TO ITS LEFT SIDE. THE CREW CHIEF HAD JUMPED FROM THE
AIRCRAFT WHEN IT STARTED TO SPIN AND FOUND APPROXIMATELY
TEN METERS FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE.\\

This record was last updated on 09/20/98
The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: PFC Jacky Eugene Landers (posthumously promoted)
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 08/15/69 while performing the duty of Gunner.
Age at death: 20.0
Date of Birth: 08/29/49
Home City: Stockton, CA
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: A/25 AVN 25 INF
Major organization: 25th Infantry Division
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 19W-045
Aircraft: UH-1H tail number 66-16492
SSN: 566723616
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: door gunner
Started Tour: 03/19/69
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Location: Tay Ninh Province III Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Protestant - no denominational preference
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead Category of personnel:
active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 08/27/97

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter
UH-1H tail number 66-16492
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 0667.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST     COUNTRY
6706   0    0 W0MHAA DIROF SUP TRAN   6TH ARMY   SHARPE GD      AVCOM
6707   0    0 W0MHAA DIROF SUP TRAN   6TH ARMY   SHARPE GD      AVCOM
6708 120  120 WAAVB0 COB 227ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN
6709 135  255 WAAVB0 COB 227ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN
6710  87  342 WAAVB0 COB 227ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN
6711  69  411 WAAVB0 COB 227ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN
6712  72  483 WAAVB0 COB 227ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN
6801   0  483 WAAVB0 COB 227ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN
6802 106  589 WAAVB0 COB 227ABAH1CAV  VIETNAM                     RVN
6803  86  675 3261   355 AVN CO       4TH ARMY   FORT SILL    4TH ARMY
6804  65  740 3261   BELL HCPTR       BAILMENT   FT WORTH       AVCOM
6805   0  740 WCLNAA 79 TRANS CO      VIETNAM                     RVN
6806   0  740 W0MUAA ARADMAC          IN STORAGE NAVAL AIR STN  AVCOM
6807   0  740 W0MUAA ARADMAC          IN STORAGE NAVAL AIR STN  AVCOM
6808   0  740 W0MUAA ARADMAC          IN STORAGE NAVAL AIR STN  AVCOM
6809  18  758 3194   HHD 44 ENG GP    THAILAND                 PACIFIC
6810  75  833 3194   HHD 44 ENG GP    THAILAND                 PACIFIC
6811 102  935 WALZA0 TRPA 25AVBN25IN  VIETNAM                     RVN
6812 116 1051 WALZA0 TRPA 25AVBN25IN  VIETNAM                     RVN
6901  95 1146 WALZA0 TRPA 25AVBN25IN  VIETNAM                     RVN
6902 102 1248 WALZA0 TRPA 25AVBN25IN  VIETNAM                     RVN
6903 129 1377 WALZA0 TRPA 25AVBN25IN  VIETNAM                     RVN
6904 121 1498 WALZA0 TRPA 25AVBN25IN  VIETNAM                     RVN
6905  73 1571 WALZA0 TRPA 25AVBN25IN  VIETNAM                     RVN
6906 144 1715 WALZA0 TRPA 25AVBN25IN  VIETNAM                     RVN
6907 130 1845 WALZA0 TRPA 25AVBN25IN  VIETNAM                     RVN
6908  70 1915 WCLGAA 20 TRANS CO      VIETNAM                     RVN