Aircraft History |
157160 | |||
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
USMC  | |||
| 1973-03-18 | w/o 18mar73 HMH-463 /YH HMH-463 | ||
| I was TAD to USS Ogden during operation end sweep 1973. As LPO for ACU-1 operating Mic 4 Mic 8 boats we rescued 5 Helicopter crew from a crash in Haiphong harbor. I watched as the tail section failed while towing gear and watched as it made a controlled crash landing. We had engines running on the mic boat before the helicopter hit the water and capsized. The 5 crew were just coming out of a hatch in the bottom of the helicopter as we arrived on sight. I am seeking mor info on this if any one can help. Kurt Beinschrotth | |||
| Here are details regarding loss of 157160 “ By John Van Nortwick, LtCol USMC (ret), 463 CO. : 157160 Was YH-11, HNH-463, participating in Operation Endsweep, the clearing of US laid mines from Haiphong Harbor in 1973. While backing off deck of USS Cleveland (LPD-7), tail rotor pitch link failed causing tail rotor to sever tail pylon. Rolled inverted and went down 90 feet to bottom of the harbor. Pilot, Major Bill Smith, co-pilot, Captain Jim Gulliford and 4 other crew all safely got out and swam to the surface with minor images. As I write this I am looking at YH-11's cyclic control mounted on a plaque that Jim gave me a few years ago. he salvaged it from the wreck back at Cubi. ” | |||
| 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 | |||
Send Updates | Use APP to upload photo |
