68th AHC Known Aircraft Incidents & Accidents

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Unit member names in Bold Print were KIA The below information is a summary of the records shared by VHPA.  If you are aware of additional information please contact the webmaster so updates can be made.  Please accompany source of information such as incident or accident number with request.         
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For a complete record of the incidents click on this link:  Unit Helicopters   then click on the BURO #
                     
Date Buro # Type A/C Co-Pilot C/E Gunner Pass. Injured/KIA A/C Status Remarks
7/20/1966 64-14095 UH-1B CW2 Lambdin,  Daniel CW2 Kinkeade, Ronald  SP4 Dillon, David A. Jr. SP4 Tate, Walter R. 0 4 KIA destroyed This was the 68th AHC's first combat loss. The aircraft was hit by an RPG right at Dillon's position.  During the landing approach, the helicopter was hit by enemy gunfire, exploded and crashed.
8/01/1966 64-14088 UH-1B CPT Abel,  Charles S. WO1 Edwin R. Higgins Sp4 Kenneth R. Bertsch AN Roger D. Childers USN 0 4 KIA destroyed 1 OF 2 Gunships escorting slicks to LZ missed LZ due to weather.  Returning to base, flight became separated in heavy rain.  AC seen slowing down and entering trees. 
3/19/1967 64-13799 UH-1D WO1 Barton, James P. Unk. SP4 Sheffield, John N. SP4 Washburn, Johnny 0 3 KIA destroyed AC dropped off troops in hot LZ, the ac was about to exit the LZ when a command detonated mine was set off, the aircraft went down in the LZ and burned.
12/07/1967   UH-1C W1 Steven Hickman 1stLT John Rockom Unk. Unk. 0 4 Injured destroyed During a battalion size combat assault at Song Be.  Immediately after refueling, the engine died while in a tight turn about 100 ft. above the ground. The aircraft came down hard and rolled up. No fire,  cause of engine failure was fuel control valve failure.
12/11/1967 65-10134   W1 Toensing, JA W1 Webb, R. Unk. E4 Freeland, FL 4 7 Injured destroyed On climb out, a loud explosion was heard. An autorotation was made with a running landing. The aircraft hit an earthen birm, lost the skids and rolled forward. The engine failed from an unknown cause.
1/2/1968 66-00686   W1 Radcliff, Jr W1 Sitzer , EL SP5 Lakin, Richard Unk. 1 1 KIA repaired 686 on a night approach to an unlighted  airfield.  tail rotor struck main rotor blade of parked ac.. Tail boom then struck tail boom of another AC
1/3/1968 65-09680 UH-1D W1 Raimi, MD O2 Potter, JE Unk. Unk. 0 0 repaired Hard landing in IFR dust condition
2/26/1968 66-16861   W1 Plumlee,  PV W1 Post,  JH  Unk. E4 Taylor,  GE 0 2 injured destroyed Aircraft landing at high rate of descent.  Aircraft hit the ground, bounced and inverted
3/27/1968 66-16835   W2 Simon,  JL  W1 Wilms,  RH Unk. Unk. 0 0 destroyed Aircraft in PZ went IFR on takeoff.  Pilot flew the aircraft into a gully right side low with the main rotor striking the ground
8/18/1968 66-16860   W1 Crosby Unk. Unk. E4 Strauss 0 3 WIA, 1 Inj. destroyed Aircraft struck by RPG in LZ - A/C burst into flames and destroyed
9/16/1968 65-09841 UH-1D WO1 Bowers, Russell WO1 Partridge, Norman PFC Summerfield, Samuel SP4 Herring, Brady 0 3 KIA - 1WIA destroyed Aircraft was shot up in a single ship LZ, lifted off, crashed in the trees and burned.
10/15/1968 66-16877   W1 Kludt,  KE  Unk. Unk. Unk. 0 0 repaired Tail rotor struck rice paddy causing sudden stop
12/11/1968 66-00529   Unk. Unk. Unk. Unk. 0 2 WIA repaired Helicopter took 6 hits from small arms, hit in tail section & engine, two crew wounded
3/20/1969 66-16077   O2 Stensgaard,  MM X1 Khanh, NV  E4 Smith,  DL  E3 Nuse,  K 4 2 injured destroyed Noise & vibration resulted in loss of pedal control and airspeed, ac began to spin, crash into trees, and impacted ground
3/24/1969 65-09526 UH-1C Unk. Unk. Unk. Unk. 0 1 WIA destroyed Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
4/20/1969 66-15042   O3 Christian, S W1 Bock, WH E4 Baca, Richard D. E4 JONES GP 0 0 repaired AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON THE EAST PERIMETER ROAD OF ^BIEN HOA AFB, RVN
4/21/1969 66-15184   Unk. Unk. Unk. Unk. 0 2 WIA repaired AIRCRAFT CRASHED ON THE EAST PERIMETER ROAD OF ^BIEN HOA AFB, RVN
5/5/1969 67-17210   W1 Anderson,  PG  W1 Montogmery,  WR E4 Eddins,  JD  E4 Woods,  MB  1 1 repaired Tail Rotor struck fence - resulting in hard landing - damaged tail and skids
6/14/1969 66-16134   W2 Polanski,  CS Unk. Unk. Unk. 0 0 repaired While hovering pilot heard loud bang, AC became difficult to control, AC sustained a hard landing
6/19/1969 66-15184   WO1 Haukeness, Glenn WO1 Williams, Robert Sgt Baca,  Richard D. SP4 Rouchon,  Michael 0 4 KIA destroyed Helicopter took hits from small arms fire, clashed and burned
6/27/1969 66-00883   02 Richardson, JH Unk. Unk. Unk. 0 0 repaired On approach to LZ AC sustained main rotor blade damage.
7/17/1969 66-16828   WO1 Garrison, Noel W1 Talbert,  ME E4 Clark,  EE E4 Floyd,  ML 3 2 KIA - 2 Inj. destroyed Aircraft lost power, fell through trees and was destroyed upon impact with ground.
8/14/1969 64-13595 UH-1D W1 Kane,  DC W1 Brown,  LL E5 Chandler,  DR E4 Balliet 1 5 injured destroyed On Smoke mission - AC struck dead tree, impacted ground 75 yards past tree, slid, and broke off tail, burned.
8/17/1969 65-09852   W1 Burns, CM Unk. Unk. Unk. 0 0 repaired ON TAKE OFF FROM PICK UP ZONE ROTOR BLADES DAMAGED BY CONTACT WITH TREES ICDT DAMAGED
8/17/1969 64-13814 UH-1D O2 Paskell,  RC Unk. Unk. Unk. 0 0 repaired On touchdown from pickup zone ac expc main rotor blade strike both blades damaged beyond repair
8/29/1969 65-09925   W1 Burns, CM Unk. Unk. Unk. 0 0 repaired AC  began to loose RPM on Touch down, main rotor blades hit a tree damaging blades.
9/05/1969 68-15135 UH-1H Maj. Tom Moody Unk. Sp5 Charles Romero Unk. 0 1 KIA repaired A command detonated explosive went off at tree level killing the crew chief.  A/C lost power, tail rotor and boom damaged, helo auto rotated to ground.. 
9/17/1969 63-08822 UH-1D O3 Richardson,  JL W1 Libby,  DW E4 Barthel,  JE E4 Jones,  JM 5 1 KIA - 4 inj destroyed AC experienced translational lift,  then RPM loss.  The AC impacted the ground in a sideways movement, striking a log, the AC rolled on left side.
11/12/1969 64-13546 UH-1H W2 Widmer,  PC W1 VanDeest, TS Unk. Unk. 1 0