(ABRIDGED) THE AIRCRAFT WAS ONE OF 4 ON AN EXTRACTION MISSION FOR THE ^11TH RVN RANGERS^ WHO ARE LOCATED AT ^DALAT, RVN^. THE DA AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AT ^DALAT-CAM LY^ AIRFIELD WAS 6853 FEET. ON THE FIRST EXTRACTION OF THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON A NORTHERLY HEADING AND NONE ENCOUNTERED ANY PROBLEMS. AFTER THE FIRST LIFT THE C AND C AIRCRAFT CREW NOTICED A HAND FLARE FIRED ON THE PZ WHICH COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE ENSUING FIRE. PRIOR TO THE THIRD EXTRACTION, ^CPT ARMSTRONG^ HAD THE TROOPS ON THE GROUND MOVE FURTHER TO THE EAST ON THE PX BECAUSE OF THE FIRE. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED FOR THE THIRD EXTRACTION, C AND C ADVISED THEM THAT THE WIND HAD SHIFTED TO THE SOUTHWEST AND THE SMOKE MIGHT HINDER THEIR APPROACH. HOWEVER, THE WIND SHIFTED AGAIN TO THE SOUTHEAST AND BLEW AGAINST THE FIRE. THE FIRST TWO AIRCRAFT MADE THEIR EXTRACTIONS WITHOUT ANY NOTICABLE DIFFICULTY LANDING TO THE NORTHWEST. THE THIRD AIRCRAFT, ^WO1 VASSEY'S,^ MADE HIS APPROACH TO THE SLOPE ON APPROXIMATELY A 330 HEADING AND A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE FIRE THAN THE OTHER TWO AIRCRAFT, ABOUT TWO ROTOR DISC FROM THE FIRE. HE APPROACHED THE SLOPE AND PUT THE MAJOR PORTION OF HIS SKIDS ON A SMALL LEVEL PORTION OF THE GROUND WITH THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER POINTED UPSLOPE. HE KEPT PITCH IN THE BLADES, HOLDING THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT OFF THE SKIDS AS THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH LEVEL GROUND TO SET THE HELICOPTER DOWN. FIVE OF THE RANGERS CLIMBED ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE. SOMETIME WHILE ^WO1 VASSEY^ WAS HOVERING IN THE PZ, THE WIND SHIFTED AGAIN FROM THE SOUTHEAST TO THE SOUTHWEST. THIS CAUSED THE FIRE TO MOVE FASTER TOWARDS THE AIRCRAFT AND UNDER THE TAIL BOOM. THE C AND C CALLED ON THE RADIO TELLING THE AIRCRAFT IN THE PZ ^(WO1 VASSEY)^ TO GET OUT. THE ROTOR WASH WAS STARTING TO PICKUP THE HEAT AND ASHES OF THE FIRE. AFTER THE RANGERS WERE ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT, ^WO1 VASSEY^ PULLED PITCH TO DEPART THE AREA. HOWEVER, THE RPM BLED TO WELL BELOW 6000 AND THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT COME UP. THE CREW CHIEF, ^SP4 HARTWELL,^ STATED THAT HE LOOKED AROUND AND NOTICED THAT THE INTENSE HEAT WAS CAUSING THE INSULATION IN THE WELL TO BECOME SOFT AND START TO MELT. ^WO1 VASSEY^ TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO LOWER THE COLLECTIVE TO REGAIN RPM BUT EACH TIME HE AGAIN PULLED PITCH, THE RPM WOULD BLEED OFF. HE THEN TRIED TO REPOSITION THE AIRCRAFT TO A MORE LEVEL AREA. HE TOLD THE CREW TO GET OUT AND TO GET THE ARVN'S OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CREW CHIEF CAME AROUND TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, PUSHED THE ARVN'S TO THE RIGHT AND TRIED TO OPEN ^WO1 VASSEY'S^ DOOR BUT IT WAS JAMMED CLOSED. ^WO1 RICH^ THEN GRABBED THE CYCLIC AND PUSHED IT ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT WHILE ^WO1 VASSEY^ UNBUCKLED HIS SEAT BELT AND SHOULDER HARNESS. AS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN GOING OVER ON ITS LEFT SIDE, ^MR. VASSEY^ AGAIN TOOK THE CONTROLS; THE CREW CHIEF GOT BACK IN THE AIRCRAFT AND HE, THE GUNNER, AND THE PILOT ALL EXITED THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE. ^WO1 VASSEY^ TRIED SEVERAL MORE TIMES LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE TO REGAIN RPM BUT EACH TIME HE WOULD AGAIN PULL PITCH THE RPM WOULD BLEED OFF. THE LAST TIME HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE HE LOWERED IT TOO FAR AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER ON ITS LEFT SIDE AND INTO THE FIRE. ^WO1 VASSEY^ CLIMBED OVER THE PEDESTAL AND UP THROUGH THE CARGO DOOR. HE THOUGHT HE WAS ON FIRE SO HE RAN A SHORT WAY AND DROPPED TO THE GROUND AND ROLLED OVER TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. BY THIS TIME THE FIRE HAD COMPLETELY CONSUMED THE AIRCRAFT; THE AIRCRAFT EXPLODED FOUR TIMES COMPLETELY DESTROYING ITSELF. SHORTLY AFTER THE EXPLOSIONS THE C AND C AIRCRAFT LANDED AND PICKED UP ^WO1 VASSEY^ AND MEDIVACED HIM TO ^CAM RANH BAY, RVN^.\\
The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter UH-1H tail number
68-16246
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 0969.
Please provide any additional information on this
helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 6909 0 0 3300 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 6910 117 117 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6911 150 267 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 6912 116 383 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7001 99 482 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 7002 138 620 WAX6AA 92 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN
Please send additions or corrections to:
VHPA Head Quarters or Gary Roush or Mike Law
Copyright © 1998, 1999 and 2000 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association