Aircraft’s Background
The Prairie Aviation Museum’s Huey helicopter was purchased from the State of Illinois Department of Central Management Services.
This helicopter was stationed for approximately 3 years in Vietnam mostly at Tay Ninh. While in the States, it served time at Fort Campbell, Kentucky with the 101st Airborne, 1st and 3rd Armies. After this service, it joined the Illinois Army National Guard for a number of years. Finally, the Museum purchased this aircraft in September, 1998, from storage at Midway Airport, Chicago.
During 67-17832’s stay in Vietnam, it was involved in three major accidents, using up one year of time in maintenance and repair. Plus, records show that it experienced battle damage as it flew into the various LZ/landing zones to deliver troops and pick them up. One of the accidents involved a shrapnel hit from a gunship.
Interactive Display
Click on a colored PIN to display additional information (text, video, recording, images).
This feature is an extra benefit as you walk around the display in our Airpark.
WIFI is provided for your mobile device. A network QR code or name/password is provided at the desk.
PINS
Videos of Interest
Video #1: Behind the Scenes: The Huey Helicopter Run Time (0:01:55)
Video #2: Bell “Huey” UH-1H Iroquois | Curator on the Loose! Run Time (0:06:34)
Video #3: Helicopter Door Gunners in Vietnam – The Shotgun Riders Run Time (0:28:37)
Video #4 US Navy HA(L)-3 “Seawolves” Helicopter Squadron over the Mekong Delta (1967) Run Time (0:07:00)
Special Note: The 4th video, “Scramble the Seawolves”, has local interest. The Seawolves were commissioned and decommissioned in Vietnam and was the highest decorated Navy unit.
Joe Crutcher, whose family documented the video, served as a Seawolf He graduated from Bloomington High School in 1964. The full length was shown at the Normal Theatre and is now available on YouTube.
Mike Herrin, a Colfax native also served as a Seawolf crew chief. Mike is a PAM Board Member.
History
The Bell UH-1 is the most widely used military helicopter. Officially, the UH-1 series is the Iroquois. When the Army adopted its own two-letter designation system, it became the HU-1 (Helicopter Utility), which led to the nickname “Huey.” The DOD standard designation system reversed this to UH-1, the first designation in the new DOD helicopter series. With larger engines and increased capacity, the UH was developed through successive models.
The U.S. Army began shipping Hueys to Vietnam in 1963. The Marine Hueys began Vietnam service in 1964. The Huey was the work horse of the Vietnam war. It’s many missions, included air assault, armed patrol and escort, command and control, troop/cargo transport, combat reconnaissance support, amphibious assault, light utility missions, and medical evacuation. Army, Navy and Marine Corps Hueys evacuated 378 thousand casualties between 1965 and 1969.
Bell and licensed firms like Italy’s Agusta (eventually bought by Bell) have built more than 15,000 Hueys. It is the most numerous helicopter ever built and the most numerous aircraft built since 1945 except for the Soviet-era Antonov An-2 biplane transport. The Huey is operated by more than 60 air forces throughout the world in a wide variety of roles, everything from VIP transport, to flying ambulance, to attack helicopter. It has continued in service well past the five decades since the first Huey lifted off the ground.
ROLE: Multiple
Crew: 2 crew +12 passengers
Bureau Number: 67-17832
SPECIFICATIONS
Main Rotor Diameter : 44 ft.
Length: 42 ft. 7 in.
Height: 14 feet 7 inches
Empty Weight: 4,750 lbs
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 8,500 lbs.
Normal Armament: One manned .30 caliber machine gun each side, although a variety of armament configurations exist.
Engine: One Lycoming T53-L-1 turbo shaft, 1,100 HP
PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 138 mph
Range: 212 miles
Service Ceiling: 16,700 ft
Previous Duty Stations and Incident Reports
UH-1H Iroquois (Huey)
Bureau Number: 67-17832
Incident and Duty Station report
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17832
The Army purchased this helicopter October, 1968.
Total flight hours at this point: 1202
Date: 08/13/1969
Accident case number: 690813251
Unit: 187 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Tay Ninh, Vietnam.
Number killed in accident = 0. Injured = 0. Passengers = 0
costing $3750
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC O3 WH WINSATT
Accident Summary:
Chalk 3 aircraft (67-17832) in right turn flew too close to lead aircraft. (68-15478). Chalk 3’s main rotor blades made contact with the main rotor blades of the lead a/c. There was incident damage to the main rotor blades of both aircraft
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17832
The Army purchased this helicopter October, 1968.
Total flight hours at this point: 1398
Date: 10/16/1969
Accident case number: 691016041
Unit: 187 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Tay Ninh, Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 0. Injured = 0. Passengers = 0.
costing $4792
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC O2 RW SCHEFFIN
Accident Summary:
As smoke ship was coming out of smoke run, it was hit by shrapnel from rockets being fired into LZ by gunships incident damage.
Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17832
The Army purchased this helicopter October, 1968.
Total flight hours at this point: 1407
Date: 11/12/1969
Accident case number: 691112281
Unit: 187 AHC
The station for this helicopter was Tay Ninh, Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 0. Injured = 0. Passengers = 1.
costing 9000
Source(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Army Aviation Safety Center database.
Crew Members:
AC W1 JD THOMPSON
P O3 JE SURRIDGE
CE E4 BL ROYAL
G E4 EP GRINK
Passengers and/or other participants:
AIR COMMANDER, MCO, G
Accident Summary:
Aircraft was flying Chalk Two, in a flight of seven aircraft, in a staggered trail right formation. On takeoff from Tay Ninh base camp, the pilot , Cpt. Surridge, had control of the aircraft. The flight flew directly to the PZ. The PZ had four to six foot tall elephant grass in it and many tree stumps and a few trees scattered around in it. As the flight approached the PZ the pilot, asked the aircraft commander which load of troops was his, because the troops were scattered and partly hidden by the tall elephant grass. The aircraft commander said the troops they were supposed to pick up were by the marking smoke. On short final to the PZ the pilot had to swing out to the right of the flight to avoid a tall tree in his flight path. After flying around the tree the pilot turned his aircraft slightly back to the left to get back in the flight and continued his approach to the PZ. Cpt. Surridge was confused as to which load of troops was his, because there were two marking smokes in the PZ, and continued his approach to the wrong load of troops. On short final the aircraft commander realized the pilot was going to the wrong load of troops. The aircraft commander at this time put his hand on the cyclic and pushed it slightly to the right trying to indicate to the pilot to go to the right smoke not the left one. At this time the aircraft was in a decelerating attitude, tail low, the aircraft began to slide slip to the right and had stopped its forward motion. Just as the aircraft began its side slip to the right, still in a tail low attitude the tail rotor struck a tree stump hidden in the tall elephant grass. When the tail rotor struck the tree stump the aircraft commander immediately realized what had happened and took control of the aircraft. The aircraft commander immediately rolled off the throttle and executed a hovering autorotation. In his attempt to level the aircraft because it was in a tail low attitude the aircraft commander over controlled slightly and landed on the left front skid first. This resulted in slight damage to the left front skid on front of the cross tube. The crew exited the aircraft and began to remove all radios and weapons. They loaded the radios and weapons onto another aircraft in the PZ.
The following is Goldbook information on helicopter UH-1H tail number 67-17832
It is provided here as an ESTIMATE of the history of this helicopter and is not intended to be the final authority.
This helicopter was purchased by the US Army in October, 1968.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY 196810 0 0 3300 HHD 44 ENG GP THAILAND PACIFIC 196811 101 101 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196812 126 227 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196901 124 351 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196902 93 444 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196903 118 562 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196904 118 680 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196905 122 802 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196906 117 919 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196907 173 1092 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196908 110 1202 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196909 84 1286 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196910 112 1398 WDUTAA 187 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 196911 9 1407 WCLGAA 20 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 196912 0 1407 WCLGAA 20 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 197001 0 1407 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVCOMITR 197002 0 1407 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 197003 0 1407 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 197004 0 1407 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 197005 3 1410 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 197006 0 1410 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVCOM 197007 0 1410 WHB1AA 166 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 197008 111 1521 WGPRAA 336 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 197009 142 1663 WGPRAA 336 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 197010 60 1723 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 197011 107 1830 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 197012 77 1907 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 197101 107 2014 WGPQAA 335 AHC VIETNAM RVN 197102 132 2146 WGPQAA 335 AHC VIETNAM RVN 197103 53 2199 WGPQAA 335 AHC VIETNAM RVN 197104 76 2275 WGPQAA 335 AHC VIETNAM RVN 197105 75 2350 WGPQAA 335 AHC VIETNAM RVN 197106 113 2463 WGPQAA 335 AHC VIETNAM RVN 197107 99 2562 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 197108 118 2680 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 197109 93 2773 WGPQAA 335 ASLT HEL CO VIETNAM RVN 197110 81 2854 WGPQAA 166 TRANS CO VIETNAM RVN 197111 49 2903 WGPQAA 61 AHC VIETNAM RVN 197112 55 2958 WGPQAA 61 AHC VIETNAM RVN 197201 0 2958 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVSCOM 197202 0 2958 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVSCOM 197203 0 2958 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVSCOM 197204 0 2958 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVSCOM 197205 0 2958 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVSCOM 197206 0 2958 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS ITR CONUS AVSCOM 197207 0 2958 W0Y6AA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 197208 0 2958 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 197209 0 2958 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 197210 13 2971 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 197211 38 3009 W0MUAA ARADMAC IN MAINT NAVAL AIR STN AVSCOM 197212 17 3026 WAB1FF 101ST ABN 3RD ARMY FORT CAMPBELL 3RD ARMY 197301 28 3054 WAB1FF 101ST ABN 3RD ARMY FORT CAMPBELL 3RD ARMY 197302 0 3054 WAB1FF 101ST ABN 3RD ARMY FORT CAMPBELL 3RD ARMY 197303 0 3054 WAB1FF 101ST ABN 3RD ARMY FORT CAMPBELL 3RD ARMY 197304 9 3063 WAB1FF 101ST ABN 3RD ARMY FORT CAMPBELL 3RD ARMY 197305 36 3099 WAB1FF 101ST ABN 3RD ARMY FORT CAMPBELL 3RD ARMY 197306 31 3130 WAB1FF 101ST ABN 3RD ARMY FORT CAMPBELL 3RD ARMY 197307 23 3153 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197308 0 3153 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197309 44 3197 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197310 42 3239 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197311 14 3253 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197312 0 3253 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197401 0 3253 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197402 33 3286 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197403 35 3321 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197404 45 3366 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197405 18 3384 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197409 35 3534 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197410 10 3544 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197411 19 3563 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197412 0 3563 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197501 1 3564 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197502 28 3592 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197503 11 3603 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197504 16 3619 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197505 0 3619 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197506 0 3619 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197507 0 3619 WAB1FF 101ST ABN DIV 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197509 0 3619 W0U422 INST MAINT FLT 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197510 0 3619 W0U422 INST MAINT FLT 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197511 0 3619 W0U422 INST MAINT FLT 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM 197512 0 3619 W0U422 INST MAINT FLT 1ST ARMY FORT CAMPBELL FORSCOM
Please send additions or corrections to:
Gary Roush
43 Overbrook Road
Painted Post, NY 14870
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