Helicopter UH-1H 66-00819
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-00819
The Army purchased this helicopter 1066
Total flight hours at this point: 00001205
Date: 03/27/69
Accident case number: 690327111
Unit: A/101 AVN
The station for this helicopter was Camp Eagle in
Number killed in accident = 0 . . Injured = 0 . . Passengers = 0
costing 909
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC O3 GOUCH ML
Accident Summary:
AT SOMETIME DUR FOB MSN DAM OCCUR TO T/R OF A/C FLT CHARACTER
NOT IMP & CREW DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL TIL A/C SHUTDWN \
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-00819
The Army purchased this helicopter 1066
Total flight hours at this point: 00001368
Date: 06/04/69
Incident number: 69060444.KIA
Unit: A/101 AVN
South Vietnam
UTM grid coordinates: BT266225
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Also: OPERA, Op LAMAR PLAIN (Operations Report. )
Summary: Hit by an unidentified type explosive round, crashed, killing all five passengers aboard.
Loss to Inventory
Passengers:
SP4 JENNINGS ROBERT LEE, AR, PX, KIA
War Story:
The Op LAMAR PLAIN report states: At 1455H, a UH-1H from A/101 AHB vic BT265125 was hit by an unidentified type explosive round from an undisclosed location and crashed, killing all five people on board. The mysterious incident was immediately investigated but the findings were inconclusive.
The following is crew member information for this incident:
Name: SGT Robert Lee Jennings
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 06/04/69 while performing the duty of Passenger.
Date of Birth: 05/25/48
Home City: Bradley, SC
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Major organization: 101st Airborne Division
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 23W-065
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00819
Service number: 12845635
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 13E20 = Cannon Fire Direction Specialist
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: passenger
Started Tour: 03/26/69
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
Length of service: 02
Location: Quang Tin Province I Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Negro
Relgion: Methodist (Evangelical United Brethren)
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 07/31/96
Name: CPT Gregory Gerald Fuchs
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 06/04/69 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 22.6
Date of Birth: 10/16/46
Home City: Brecksville, OH
Service: AD branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: A/101 AVN 101 ABN
Major organization: 101st Airborne Division
Flight class: 68-4
Service: AD branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 23W-063
Short Summary: Fuchs was in C/158 when it formed at Ft. Riley. He was infused into A/101 "Comancheros" at Chu Lai. See Sholar.
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00819
Call sign: Comancheros
Service number: O5426591
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: aircraft commander
Started Tour: 01/02/69
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 03
Location: Quang Tin Province I Corps.
Additional information about this casualty:
On 5/23/69, I was aircraft commander training Greg to be an aircraft commander. I was shot going into medevac wounded from 501 Inf BN west of Tam Ky. Greg saved my life and all other crew members when I was shot off of the controls. Because I was evaced, Greg was immediately made aircraft commander. Two weeks later Greg was flying the mission that took his life and that of everyone on board. It was one of the few crashes that was investigated by the safety board out of Ft. Rucker. The board determined that the helicopter was blown up in flight when a fragmentation grenade that the door gunner was handling blew up. They did this by having the ordnance people at Aberdeen inspect the gunners chicken plate. Jim Furman, Austin, TX. July 1998
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Friends (Quaker)
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 07/25/98
Name: WO1 Edwin Franklin Sholar
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 06/04/69 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 22.3
Date of Birth: 03/04/47
Home City: Murray, KY
Service: AV branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: A/101 AVN 101 ABN
Major organization: 101st Airborne Division
Flight class: 68-21/68-35
Service: AV branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 23W-068
Short Summary: See Fuchs.
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00819
Call sign: Comancheros
Service number: W3163550
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 062B
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: weapons
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 02/03/69
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Location: Quang Tin Province I Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Baptist - other groups
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: warrant officer
This record was last updated on 07/25/98
Name: SP4 Richard Leigh Barnes
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 06/04/69 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at death: 21.2
Date of Birth: 03/06/48
Home City: Bellflower, CA
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: A/101 AVN 101 ABN
Major organization: 101st Airborne Division
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 23W-061
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00819
Call sign: Comancheros
Service number: 18837109
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 72C2P = Central Office Switchboard Operator
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew chief
Started Tour: 07/11/67
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 02
Location: Quang Tin Province I Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: unknown or not reported
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 07/25/98
Name: SP4 Stephen Lord Roberts
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 06/04/69 while performing the duty of Gunner.
Age at death: 21.3
Date of Birth: 02/06/48
Home City: Redlands, CA
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: A/101 AVN 101 ABN
Major organization: 101st Airborne Division
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 23W-067
Aircraft: UH-1D tail number 66-00819
Call sign: Comancheros
Service number: 18861945
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67N20 = UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: door gunner
Started Tour: 10/12/68
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 01
Location: Quang Tin Province I Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Protestant - no denominational preference
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 07/25/98
The following is Goldbook
information on US Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-00819
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 1066.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.