Helicopter 69-17100

Information on U.S. Army helicopter CH-47C tail number 69-17100
The Army purchased this helicopter 1169
Total flight hours at this point: 00000506
Date: 09/16/70
Incident number: 700916121ACD Accident case number: 700916121 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: 213 ASHC
This was a Accident incident.
The station for this helicopter was Phu Loi in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 4 . . Passengers = 0
costing 1721561
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
AC W1 YOUNG RG
P W1 BURNS GP
CE E4 FOWLER GE
G E3 JACOB J
FE SP4 BODISH JAMES ROBERT KIA

Accident Summary:

THE FLIGHT WAS A ROUTINE COMBAT RESUPPLY MISSION WHICH ORIGINATED AT PHU LOI, RVN. AT PHU LOI, RVN. AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 HOURS THE AIRCRAFT PICKED UP A 14,000 POUND EXTERNAL LOAD OF CEMENT AT TAY NINH EAST AIRFIELD. AFTER THE LOAD WAS HOOKED UP, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER BROUGHT THE AIRCRAFT TO A HOVEASIZED TO ALL CREWMEMBERS.\\ R, CHECKED THE TORQUE AND ALL SYSTEMS WERE IN THE GREEN, AND BEGAN A TAKE OFF. AS THE AIRCRAFT REACHED ABOUT 1000 FEET AGL THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER LEVEVELED OFF AND BEGAN A SHALLOW RIGHT TURN. AT THIS TIME A MUFFELED EXPLOSION WAS HEARD FROM THE RIGHT REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT AND FLAMES WERE IMMEDIATELY OBSERVED INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT, IN THE AFT PYLON SECTION. THE FLIGHT ENGINEER RELEASED THE LOAD AND THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER INITIATED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT TOWARD AN OPEN AREA. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE HEAT WAS SO INTENSE AND THE SM/KE SO DENSE IN THE COCKPIT THAT ALL INSTRUMENT AND RADIO PANELS WERE OBSCURED. THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER EXECUTED A LEFT DECENDING TURN WITH HIS HEAD OUT THE LEFT WINDOW IN ORDER TO BREATHE. FULL CONTROL WAS MAINTAINED THROUGHOUT THE DESCENDING TURN AND ON THE INITIAL APPROACH. AS THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER FLARED TO SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN, CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE AIRCRAFT ASSUMED AN EXTREME NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE.\\

This record was last updated on 05/25/98

The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: SP4 James Robert Bodish
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 09/16/70 while performing the duty of Flight Engineer.
Age at death: 19.4
Date of Birth: 04/18/51
Home City: Pittsburgh, PA
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 213 ASHC
Major organization: USARV
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 07W-067
Aircraft: CH-47C tail number 69-17100
SSN: 161425498
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67U20 = CH-47 Helicopter Repairer
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: vehicular accident
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew member
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 03/10/70
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
The initial status of this person was: no previous report
Length of service: *
Location: Tay Ninh Province III Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Non-hostile - died of other causes
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Lutheran (Missouri Synod)
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: non-battle dead Category of personnel: active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 08/25/96

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter CH-47C tail number 69-17100
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 1169.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
6911   8    8 W0MAAA DIR SUP / TRAN   IN MAINT   NEW CUMBRLND AD  AVCOM            
6912   1    9 W0MAAA DIR FOR MAINT    1ST ARMY   NEW CUMBERLAND   AVCOM            
7001   0    9 WDFHAA HHC 520T BN34GP  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7002  16   25 WDQLAA 213 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7003 100  125 WDQLAA 213 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7004  67  192 WDQLAA 213 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7005 111  303 WDLQAA 213 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7006  85  388 WDQLAA 213 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7007  69  457 WDQLAA 213 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN     
7008  49  506 WDQLAA 213 ASLT HEL CO  VIETNAM                     RVN

Please send additions or corrections to:

Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870

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Updated: 01/17/99

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