Research old USAF accidents

E

ebetancourt

Line Up and Wait
Joined
Feb 12, 2010
Messages
694
Location
Middle Tennessee
Display Name
Display name:
Ernie
My Vietnam tour over 50 years ago yielded a lot of funny anecdotes. One of the funniest involved two lost (no lives) H3s (not sure which variants, could have been CH-3C or HH-3C, pretty sure not HH-3E) off the coast of Okinawa. This involved salt encrustation on the turbines. I have been thinking about writing down the stories (some heard, some lived) and wanted to verify this one. Google comes up with nothing and was hoping someone here had an idea about how to find the info.
 
Just a little googling revealed this. https://www.vhpa.org/heliloss.pdf

A lot of alumni maintain web sites about their squadron/ship/etc. Maybe start there.

If you are really intent, file a FOIA request with the Gov’t.
 
Last edited:
ebetancourt said:
had an idea about how to find the info.
Click to expand...
Go to the link below and scroll down to "other sources." It contains the contact info for the USAF records custodian: Air Force Inspection and Safety Center. However, the military tends to reorganize things on a regular basis and that contact may not be accurate. Maybe google the Safety center for a current contact?

Keep in mind, without an aircraft serial/technical number or unit, it might be a bit more difficult to find but you never know. The Navy and Army maintain their own records at their respective Investigative/Safety commands or historical archives. Good luck.
https://www.archives.gov/research/transportation/aircraft-accidents
 
Thanks. I used to belong to the VHPA but it was all Army and I forgot about it. I'll try the archives. BTW the story is, turbine helicopters hovering over salt water get salt encrustation on the turbine blades and lose power. The HH-3Es I flew had a chart. An H-3 off Okinawa was lost (hard landing, sank) during a training exercise. They asked the Navy to provide a ship to provide safety for a second helicopter assigned to test the problem. Exact repeat, Navy couldn't react fast enough to secure the helicopter. Both crews got off fine. The H-3s were amphibious, but had a radome on the bottom of the helicopter for a doppler navigation unit. Hit hard and it broke and water came in.
 
Somewhat of an old AF accident. A little known operation that was considered the last battle of Vietnam. Highlights the problems of hasty operations with poor intel and the courage of those that go in harms way so “that others may live.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayaguez_incident
 
Last edited:
The Jolly Green mission never had good intel. Its success depended on rapid engagement and conclusion. The JGs, while I was there, had pretty good success if the survivor was on board within not more than a couple of hours. Not so much if not. In the HH-3E (the original Jolly Green) there were four crew and usually one survivor. There were periods during my tour that we lost more crew than saved pilots. On the other hand my first rescue was within 40 miles of Hanoi and in IMC conditions, and it was as quiet as any training cross country I ever flew. We had the 105 pilot in the jump seat and joking within two or so hours of ejection.

Ernie
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top