Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-01027
The Army purchased this helicopter 1266
Total flight hours at this point: 00000644
Date: 01/21/1968 MIA-POW file reference number: 1000
Incident number: 68012122.KIA
Unit: 282 AHC
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
for Air/land Assault , Hot Area.
While on Landing Zone this helicopter was on Take-Off at 0005 feet and 005 knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XD860385
Helicopter took 1 hits from:
Explosive Weapon; Non-Artillery launched or static weapons containing explosive charges. (57MM RR)
causing an Explosion.
Casualties = 02 INJ, 01 DOI, 02 M . .
The helicopter Crashed. 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 Reference Notes. Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database.
Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: 1000, LNNF,
CASRP, FM232, JSIDR, Homecoming II Project 01, Unit H (Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Joint
Services Incident Damage Report. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
AC CPT TC STINER
P WO1 MCKINSEY GERALD LEROY JR KIA
CE SP5 DH HOWINGTON
G SFC HILL BILLY DAVID BNR
G SGT D WILLIAMS
Passengers and/or other participants:
LTC SEYMOE JOSEPH P, AR, PX, KIA
REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: On January 21, 1968, Captain Tommy C. Stiner, pilot; WO Gerald L. McKensey Jr., co-pilot; SSgt. Billy D. Hill, doorgunner (missing); and SP5 David H. Harrington, crewchief; were aboard the lead UH1D helicopter and PVT Jerry W. Elliott was the doorgunner on the following UH1D on a troop insertion mission. The two choppers were inserting ARVN troops at an old French fort approximately 1200 meters east of Khe Sanh. Also in the lead aircraft was LTC Semyo, senior advisor to the ARVN unit being inserted. As WO McKensey's aircraft touched down on the landing zone, NVA troops stood up all around the aircraft and began firing at the aircraft at almost point blank range. As soon as all the ARVN troops were off loaded, the aircraft lifted off. At approximately 8-10 feet off the ground, the aircraft was hit by either a 57mm recoilless rifle or a direct hit mortar fire, burst into flames and crashed. PVT Elliott, doorgunner and his crewchief were on another UH1D that landed approximately 50-60 feet from the crashed aircraft. LTC Semyo died while pinned under the aircraft. His body was subsequently recovered. The pilot, Stiner, exited the aircraft successfully, evaded capture and returned to friendly lines. Harrington was able to board one of the rescue aircraft that had landed in the LZ. Before leaving the vicinity, CPT Stiner was in a defensive position with WO McKensey. Stiner later reported that he witnessed McKensey being shot in the back of the head and killed. PVT Elliott and his crewchief exited their aircraft to assist survivors of the downed helicopter. In a matter of seconds, the crewchief returned to his aircraft and advised the pilot to take off immediately because of the highly intense hostile fire. The aircraft lifted off, leaving Elliott on the ground, circled and returned to the LZ, but could not locate PVT Elliott. Three days after the incident, a helicopter searched the area and observed a body in the tall elephant grass and small trees. By process of elimination, the pilot determined that the body was that of PVT Elliott. Two sets of remains were recovered from the crash site by an unidentified unit and were later positively identified as those of Semyo and McKensey. Hill was last seen by CPT Stiner, just prior to the aircraft being hit in the compartment in which Hill was manning his machine gun. Stiner stated that Hill was probably struck by the same volley of rounds that downed the aircraft as his machine gun was observed blown to pieces. Stiner searched the area before taking evasive action, but Hill could not be located.
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
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Date posted on this site: 09/07/2007
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