Helicopter Accidents

Year 1973 accidents

Sikorsky S-65 H-53 Accidents

Year	Version	C/N
1973	ch-53a	65-095	153709 : Crashed at Naval Air Test Center Patuxent River Md, spring of 1973, complete loss. Lost one soul, Crew Chief Marine Sgt Tom Henderson. Navy Pilot, Civilian Test Pilot and Army Crew Chief escaped with non life threatening injuries.
1973	ch-53a	65-109	153723 : w/o 25feb73 HMH-772
1973	ch-53a	65-136	154873 : This a/c crashed a few days after Marine HMH-463 YH-11 went down in North Vietnam waters sweeping mines. Both crashes were a result of tail rotor pitch link failures. This crash resulted in all 53's being grounded and new more robust pitch links being installed. Neither crash caused fatalities
1973	ch-53d	65-168	156664 : w/o 02jul73 HMH-463 /YH
1973	ch-53d	65-279	157153 : Pat Boots at New River Air Station :
1973	ch-53d	65-286	157160 : Yankee Hotel 11 was actually air borne dragging mine gear in the water to mine sweeping area when the tail rotor pitch link failed. I was the crew chief on this aircraft when she went down. I was by the ramp when the tail rotor separated and the aircraft began a left to right yaw increasing in degrees rapidly until the aircraft began rotating 360 degrees in a nose down larger 360 arc. One hell of a ride. Sgt. John J. Walsh
1973	ch-53d	65-315	157739 : w/o 27jan73 HMH-462 /YF-
1973	hh-53c	65-192	68-10362 : 40th ARRS w/o 14jun73 Cambodia
1973	S-65C-3	65-235	131 : Sikorsky S-65C-3, c/n 65-235 ff?; retained by Sikorsky for testing as N6972R; del IDF/AF as S-65C Yasur 131, Oct69; shot down by Egyptian SAM, 5 crewman killed, 2 ejected 12Oct73.
1973	S-65C-3	65-345	249 : Sikorsky S-65C-3, c/n 65-345 ff?; retained by Sikorsky for testing as N4004S; del IDF/AF as S-65C Yasur 249, Oct71; reserialled 949 unk; shot down by Egyptian AAA or SAM, 2 crew + 12 wounded soldiers killed 24Oct73.