Saber Article Index
2018 Nov-dec
I briefly spoke with James Odum on the
telephone since the last column. James said that he didn’t remember
who was on the crew when he was awarded the DFC, but that the
flight was out of Phouc Vinh. He said that it was just a routine pickup, in
other words, not urgent. All that getting shot up should have been
unnecessary for a routine pickup, but the pilots made the decision.
James recalled an incident where one of the MEDEVAC Hueys was on a
maintenance flight check and crashed. James said he himself had redlined
that helicopter. Listening to James describe it, more caution should
probably have been taken flying it and it went down killing the three
maintenance personnel on board.
I just happened to be the flight Medic on
the MEDEVAC that brought in SP6 Conway. He was seized up probably from a
concussion, or which is commonly referred to in the most recent wars,
traumatic brain injury. There was nothing that I could do for him that I
could see. No bleeding, no obstructed airway, no gasping for breath, just
seized. It was a short ride from the rubber trees where they crashed, to
the 15th MED in Phouc Vinh.
Looking up SP6 Conway on Google I found some-
one had posted on the Virtual Wall-no name given the following: “02 Jan 2004
NEVER FORGOTTEN WO Rodney K. Arnold, SFC James H. Brooks , and SP6
James T. Conway, all assigned to Headquarters Company, 15th Medical
Battalion, were lost when their UH-1H (tail number 68-16429) crashed
during a post-maintenance test flight.”
“I served with James
Conway when I was a flying crew chief for UH1H tail number 68-16429 in
the MEDEVAC Platoon and he was working in the Maintenance Platoon for
15th Medical Battalion, 1st Air Cavalry Division.”
“In April 1970 I
was hospitalized after being bitten by a rat at Quan Loi where my
helicopter was stationed to make emergency pickups. While I was in the
hospital, the MEDEVAC helicopter on which I was the assigned crew
chief crashed during a maintenance flight check, killing all aboard
including James, SFC Brooks and WO Arnold.
“I remember James Conway
was married with two kids and one on the way. It was his second tour in
Vietnam. He thought being in helicopter maintenance was safer than flying
MEDEVAC missions like me. He had done his first tour flying as a crew
chief. He loved his family and the only thing he wanted was to return to
them. But, as fate would have it, I survived the war and he didn’t, dying
in the helicopter I should have been in. I will always be eternally grateful
to James for doing his duty. He made the ultimate sacrifice. I will never
forget him.” Again, this author gives no name that I see.
SP6 James
Thaddeus Conway died 25 Apr 70 at 15th Medical Battalion (1st Cav).
Home of Record (official): Tuscarawas, OH. Maintenance Sergeant SFC James
Harrison Brooks, Jr. was from Itmann, WV. WO Rodney Keith Arnold was
from Milwaukee, WI. All three died together 25 Apr 70. The crash was near
the Song Be Bridge, a few kilometers south of the Phouc Vinh Base
Camp. https://vhpa.org/KIA/incident/700425101ACD.HTM
“Helicopter UH-1H 68-16429
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail
number 68-16429:
The Army purchased this helicopter in 1169
Total
flight hours at this point: 00000417
Date: 04/25/1970
Incident number:
700425101ACD Accident case number: 700425101 Total loss or fatality
Accident
Unit: 15 MED 1 CAV
The station for this helicopter was Phouc
Vinh in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 3... Injured = 0...
Passengers = 3 costing 395145
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: P WO1
Arnold Rodney Keith KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
LCO, G
SFC Brooks James Harrison JR, CMP, A
SP6 Conway James Thaddeus, CMP, A
Accident Summary: The crew of UH-1H, SN: 68-16429 was performing a test
flight. The purpose of the test flight was to perform an N1 topping
check. The aircraft departed Phuoc Vinh at approximately 1030 hours and
proceeded to the unit’s test flight area south of the Song Be Bridge,
RVN. At approximately 1100 hours, according to witnesses on the ground,
aircraft 68-16429, which was heading in a northeasterly direction, began
violently spinning to the right at an altitude of approximately 1200 feet
above ground level. Witnesses also stated that at approximately 700 feet
above ground level the aircraft began to recover from the spin and that at
approximately 400 feet above ground level the aircraft again began to spin,
finally crashing in a rubber plantation 8,000 meters to the southwest of
Phuoc Vinh. The aircraft was found resting on its right side heading
approximately 120 degrees with the tail boom still attached. Although
remaining attached to the main body of the aircraft, the tail boom was
bent approximately 60 degrees from its normal position and leaning
against a rubber tree. The complete tail rotor section with half of the
90-degree gearbox attached was found approximately 15 meters northwest of
the aircraft. The detached tail rotor section was found undamaged except
for the 90-degree gearbox which was split in half. The remaining half of
the 90-degree gearbox remained attached to the tail boom section. Impact
with the rubber trees and found approximately 5 meters south of the main
body of the aircraft. Small portions of the main rotor blade were found
scattered throughout the crash site area. All three occupants survived
the initial impact of the crash but died due to injuries after the
accident.
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
Additional
information is available on CD-ROM.
Please send additions or corrections
to:
The VHPA Webmaster Gary Roush.
Date posted on this site: 09/23/2017
Copyright © 1998 - 2017 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association”
FIRST TEAM! Garryowen,
Mike
Bodnar
C 2\7 '69 MEDEVAC 1-7\70
SO THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE