Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47B tail number 67-18445
The Army purchased this helicopter 1067
Total flight hours at this point: 00001088
Date: 08/26/1970
Incident number: 70082622.KIA
Unit: 178 ASHC
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
for Air/land Assault , Hot Area.
While on Landing Zone this helicopter was Landing at 0100 feet and 010 knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: AT851009
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Explosive Weapon; Non-Artillery launched or static weapons containing explosive charges. (RPG, 12.7MM)
causing a Fire.
Systems damaged were: FUEL SYS, PERSONNEL
Casualties = 29 DOI, 02 INJ . .
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 Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis
Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNNF, JSIDR, CASRP, CH47 (Operations Report. Lindenmuth
New Format Data Base. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
AC CW2 YORK DANIEL WEBSTER KIA
CE SP4 TEFFT GEORGE EDWARD KIA
FE SP4 YORK JOEL CRAIG KIA
G PFC MCDOUGALL HIMA DUNCAN JR KIA
P REID ERIC P RES
Passengers and/or other participants:
SP4 ANDERSON WILLIAM JR, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 BARNETT STUART LEE, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 BATESEL DENNIS GORDON, AR, PX, KIA
PFC BEDRA THEODORE FRANK, AR, PX, KIA
PFC BRIDGETT PAUL EDWARD, AR, PX, KIA
PFC CODY WESLEY OTERIA, AR, PX, KIA
SGT DUNCAN ONNIE DAVID, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 ESTRIDGE CURTISS, AR, PX, KIA
PFC FLORES FLORENTINO, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 GARNETT ISIAH CALVIN, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 GINN JAMES MICHAEL, AR, PX, KIA
PFC HICKMAN THOMAS STEVEN, AR, PX, KIA
1SG JOHNSON ALBERT LEE, AR, PX, KIA
SGT KRAEMER FRED CHRIS, AR, PX, KIA
PFC MANRING CURTIS JOHNSON, AR, PX, KIA
PFC MARTINEZ-ZAYAS RUBEN, AR, PX, KIA
SGT MCMASTER ROBERT PAUL, AR, PX, KIA
PFC MORGAN MICHAEL LYNN, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 OBRIEN DWIGHT PRESTON, AR, PX, KIA
PFC PIERSOL JOHN LAURENCE JR, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 REESE DAVID PHILLIP, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 ROSE DAVID EARL, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 SALTERS LEE EARNEST, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 SANDOVAL HECTOR MONTALVO, AR, PX, KIA
SP4 THORPE WILLIAM DAVID, AR, PX, KIA
PFC WEHRHEIM CHARLES GEORGE, AR, PX, KIA
PV1 WIDDOWS JOHN WILLIAM, AR, PX, KIA
War Story:
Hit by enemy fire on final. Pilot heard an explosion. Aircraft crashed into trees and burned. Internal load of 105 mm ammo began exploding. Of the crew of five and 20 PAX aboard, the pilot was sole survivor.
My recollection may be a bit hazy after 36 years. I was filling sandbags with Hugh O'Connor. Watched the RPG actual hit the left jet pod on final approach to what we affectionately called LZ Judy. Couple of things need corrected. There was no 51 cal. machine gun fire. The bird was loaded with white phosphorous for 81 mm mortars, not 105mm. The flight was from Kham Duc. A platoon from 4/31 was pulled off the bird, replaced by a platoon from Delta of the 2/1, along with the Delta
1SG. Don't remember any detonations like 105mm's, just a huge white smoke cloud after skidding down the mountain. Three days later we had to police the body bags of those poor souls.
From: SGT Allen, HHC 2/1
I was a direct observer of the downing of the Chinook at LZ Judy on 8/26/70. I totally disagree with any statements made about an RPG. I heard a burst of what
could have been AK fire and the ship started going down. The pilot was able to bring the nose up temporarily and then down it went nose first. The door gunner did return fire as soon as they took fire. I agree with the internal weapons being 81MM WP rounds.
From: Ken Ruesch, LTC U.S.Army(RET)
This record was last updated on 04/06/2007
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Date posted on this site: 09/07/2007
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