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OH-58 Vietnam Losses

28 OCT 72

CW2 James M. Stever [P]

Vietnam

18 AVN
#69-16102
Hovering backwards to get room for takeoff, tail skid got caught in wire and A/C flipped over backwards into a canal.

09 JUN 72

1LT Ronald E. Doughtie [P]
CIV John P. Vann
CPT Robert A. Robertson

Pleiku Province

201 AVN
#68-16938
A/C departed Pleiku at 2050 hours and did not establish flight following. Pilot radioed that A/C would arrive in Kontum in approx 15 minutes. A/C fuselage was located in a stand of trees.

12 JUN 71

SGT Gary L. Westphal [OB]

Quang Tri Province

D/3/5 CAV
#68-16786
Hit by enemy machine gun fire at close range while searching for NVA position.

27 MAY 71

1LT Thomas W. Knuckey [P]
SGT Philip C. Taylor [OB]

Cambodia

A/3/17 CAV
#68-16888
Was part of a force conducting battle damage assessment. During final pass over the gun emplacement, A/C was hit by enemy groundfire, and exploded while in flight. The A/C then crashed and exploded a second time and burned.

03 MAY 71

CPT Derrill L. Burnside [P]
2 injured

Quang Tri Province

5 MECH
#68-16782
A/C was flying along the Ho Chi Minh trail north and west of Khe Son with CPT Burnside flying left seat, when A/C was hit with 51 & 23 cal fire and crashed on top of a hill and rolled down the side in a ravine.

29 APR 71

SSG Patrick O. Orr [OB]

Cambodia

A/3/17 CAV
#68-16946
Lost near the Chup rubber plantation.

24 MAR 71

CPT David L. Coker Jr [P]
PFC Robert D. Walters [CE]
SGT Curtis D. Bauer [OB]

Quang Tri Province

D/3/5 CAV
#68-16955
A/C shot down while trying to help another shot downed scout (#69-16136 below).

24 MAR 71

SP4 William E. Neal [CE]
SGT Harry M. Beckwith III [G]
1 WIA

Quang Tri Province

D/3/5 CAV
#69-16136
A/C was departing from its squadron forward command post at Ham Nhi for a visual recon mission. Shortly after takeoff, the A/C was hit by enemy automatic ground-to-air fire and crashed in enemy surrounded area. Within minutes, the A/C exploded and burned.

17 MAR 71

1LT William D. Schlutter [P]
MAJ Ronald O. Scharnberg [OB]
LTC Bryan J. Sutton

Quang Tri Province

1 BDE 5 MECH
#68-16884
A/C was last seen at approx 1345 hours at a field location 4 miles to the NW of Ham Nghi. A/C departed that location with 2 PAXs and flew off to the SW. The next time the A/C was seen was at approx 1415 hours when a survey team from the 108TH ARTY GP, working NW of Ham Nghi (XD 778438) reported an A/C burning on the mountain near them.

15 MAR 71

WO1 Steven R. Peck [P]

Quang Tri Province

D/3/5 CAV
Scout pilot giving in country checkride in vicinity of rock pile. 51 cal in chest.

07 MAR 71

CW3 Randolph J. Ard [P]
COL Sheldon J. Burnett
2 injured

Laos

1 BDE 5 MECH
#68-16814
A/C mistakenly flew past command post into Laos. A/C shot down by RPD machine gun and AK-47’s.

23 FEB 71

CW2 Stephen M. Hiscock [P]
SGT Raymond L. Armentrout [CE]
SP4 William T. Walerzak [OB]

Laos

D/3/5 CAV
#69-16085
Scout mission on Laos border in SVN took fire from large enemy force, tried to stretch autorotation and ran out of RPM, crashed and burned.

15 FEB 71

CPT Robert E. Decelle II [P]

Tay Ninh Province

A/3/17 CAV
#68-16960
A/C shot down in vicinity of Cambodian border near Snoopy's nose. Pilot medevaced out and died in the hospital 3 days later.

30 DEC 70

1LT Brian A. Horinek [P]
PFC Howard W. Bramlett Jr [CE]
SP4 Steve S. DeNike [OB]

Long Khanh Province

B/3/17 CAV
#68-16964
Wire strike accident while returning to Xuan Loc to refuel after visual recon mission.

07 DEC 70

PFC Harold N. Flieger [OB]

Phuoc Long Province

A/3/17 CAV
Died as a result of wounds received when a WP (white-phosphorus) grenade detonated in the cockpit. He directed the blast of the grenade towards himself in order to save the A/C and the scout pilot.

04 DEC 70

WO1 Peter C. Behrens [P]
CW2 Kermit L. Matthews [P]
CPT James R. Heimbold [OB]
SGM Andrew Machristie

Khanh Hoa Province

2/17 ARTY
#68-16803
A/C impacted side of mountain left of Hwy 21 due to IFR conditions.

01 DEC 70

WO1 Stephen C. Sellett [P]
CW2 Kenneth E. Crayne [PP]
LTC Raymond B. Penn Jr
SGM Laverne D. Coyle

Binh Dinh Province

7/15 ART
#68-16749
A/C initiated a left descending turn at the western entrance of the Mang Giang Pass. A/C nearly completed a 360 degree descending turn prior to impacting at high speed near the base of a small hill approx 150 meters N of QL19 due to bad weather.

20 OCT 70

WO1 Byron M. Hannah [P]
PFC Vincent R. Kotarski Jr [G]
1 injured

Binh Dinh Province

B/3/17 CAV
#69-16086
A/C shot down and crashed.

15 SEP 70

PFC Lee D. Meadows [CE]
SGT David F. Freeman [OB]
P injured

Vietnam

C/3/17 CAV
#68-16912
No details.

24 AUG 70

WO1 Patrick G. Fitzsimmons [P]
2 injured

Vietnam

190 AHC
#68-16914
A/C was shot down while on a recon mission. Although the A/C was hit in the cockpit area, crashed, and burned, two others aboard survived with injuries.

22 AUG 70

SP5 Paul Ward [CE]
SP4 Robert L. Dunaway Jr [OB]
1 injured

Quang Tri Province

C/3/17 CAV
#69-16089
A/C was hit by .51 cal ground fire approx 3000m west of the Rock Pile.

20 AUG 70

1LT Joseph H. Denig
2 ARVN killed
P injured

Vietnam

25 AVN DET
#68-16824
A/C shot down near Long Binh while doing low level recon.

04 JUN 70

WO1 William T. Wallace [P]
SP4 Jerry C. Gillett [OB]

Tay Ninh Province

A/3/17 CAV
#68-16945
A/C shot down and crashed.

04 JUL 70

CW2 Robert J. Wingenfeld [P]
1 injured

Khanh Hoa Province

52 CAB
#69-16098
A/C departed Nha Trang flying parallel to Hwy 1, and after passing Thon Phu Xuong, they entered Hon Kho Pass and went inadvertent IFR. Pilot made left hand and rapid nose low descent and broke out of clouds approx 25-50' above the water in an approx 30 deg nose low attitude and at 80 KIAS, hitting the water. Crew survived crash and OB helped P stay afloat for half hour. When OB resurfaced after removing his boots, P was no where to be seen. OB swam to shore.

29 APR 70

CW2 Willard S. Cannon III [P]
CE & OB injured

Binh Tuy Province

C/3/17 CAV
#68-16844
A/C crashed after hitting water flying low level over a lake.

27 MAR 70

WO1 Ralph R. Quick Jr [P]
LTC Joseph Benoski Jr [OB]

Quang Tri Province

520 TC BN
#68-16785
Aero-scout mission with an arty spotter. Hit by .51 cal pulling out from a BDA.