Information on U.S. Army helicopter AH-1G tail number 68-15002
The Army purchased this helicopter 0169
Total flight hours at this point: 00001884
Date: 06/01/1971 MIA-POW file reference number: 1752
Incident number: 71060110.KIA
Unit: D/158 AVN 101 ABN
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
for Close Air Support
Unknown this helicopter was Unknown at UNK feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: XD855454
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Unknown groundfire.
Systems damaged were: MULTIPLE, PERSONNEL
Casualties = 02 MIA . .
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: 1752, CASRP
(Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
P CW2 WANN DONALD LYNN BNR
P 1LT MAGERS PAUL GERALD BNR
REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: On June 1, 1971, 1Lt. Paul Magers, pilot and CW2 Donald L. Wann, aircraft commander, were aboard an AH1G Cobra gunship (serial #68-15002) on a mission in northwest Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, about 5 miles south of the demilitarized zone (DMZ). Another helicopter had just successfully extracted a Ranger team from a landing zone, and Magers' gunship was to destroy some ammunition that had been in the area.
CW2 Wann started his rocket pass at about 1500 feet above the ground, and at about 40 feet, before commencing fire, the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Witnesses saw a tracer round hit the underside and the tail section of the helicopter and saw fire from escaping fuel. The aircraft nosed up, gaining from 100-150 feet in altitude, then lost air speed. The aircraft appeared to shudder as it started a vertical right descending turn in flames.
As the aircraft fell in a spiral pattern, 6 calls were made by CW2 Wann on both FM and UHF radio. None of the calls was answered. The aircraft crashed and slid down a steep hill some 100 feet. All witnesses stated that the crash was non-survivable.
The following was collected at the 9th VHPA reunion in Atlanta on 1LT Paul Gerald Magers:
Hit by 51 cal fire making a practice run for Magers to fire weapons. The 51 cal position opened up. CCN team had just been extracted. Up to that point there had been no enemy fire. Magers was on his 1st or 2nd mission after arriving in country.
From Defense Intelligence Agency Refno 1752:
A Ranger team had just been successfully extracted from a landing zone and CW2 Wann's gunship was to destroy some ammunition that had been there. CW2 Wann started his rocket pass at about 1500 feet above the ground and at about 40 feet, before commencing fire, the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire. Witnesses saw tracer rounds striking the underside and tail section of the aircraft, and saw fire from escaping fuel.
The aircraft nosed up, gaining 100 to 150 feet of altitude, and then lost airspeed. The helicopter appeared to shudder as it started a vertical right descending turn in flames. As the aircraft was falling in what appeared to be an uncontrolled spiral, six calls were made to CW2 Wann on both FM and UHF radios. None of the calls was answered. The aircraft crashed, and slid down the steep hill some 100 feet at grid coordinates XD 855 454. All witnesses to the incident stated the crash was not survivable.
This record was last updated on 05/25/1998
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections to: The VHPA Webmaster Gary Roush.
KIA statistics
Return to the KIA panel date index
Date posted on this site: 09/07/2007
Copyright © 1998 - 2007 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association