Boeing CH-47A Chinook helicopter 66-00120.

66-00120

   66-00120, Boeing build number B-252, was a CH-47A helicopter. The U.S. Army acceptance date was 21 October 1966. The administrative strike date was 22 October 1968. 66-00120 accumulated at least 1,231.0 aircraft hours.

   At some point, 66-00120 was assigned to the 205th Assault Support Helicopter Company (ASHC) - "Geronimos", in the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam), and remained there until it was lost due to enemy action.

   While recovering a downed UH-1 "Huey", after the load was hooked up, 66-00120 was struck by two Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs). One exploded in the aircraft, killing the Flight Engineer (FE) and damaging both Flight Hydraulic Control Systems and the Utility Hydraulic System. Both Generators went off-line.

   The second RPG took out a 2 x 6 inch spar section of the blade. However, the blade did not fail.

   The aircraft landed in a rice paddy and settled in five feet of water.

   A CH-54 "Skycrane" called in to recover 66-00120 could not lift the aircraft due the amount of water that filled the fuselage.

   66-00120 was subsequently abandoned because of the hostile environment.

   The last known location of 66-00120 was in the Republic of Vietnam.

   Aircraft status: Shot down in combat.

Getting Shot Down

A Story by Adolf "Frenchy" Viol.

22 October 1968 - I think it was on a Sunday, we - the crew of the 120 - had standby duty. A call came for us to go and sling out a Huey, in the Bing Duong Province III Corps. Gun Ship cover was denied, because it was a friendly and secure Area. SP5 Jack Alvin Corn was the FE. Greg Trimmel was the Gunner on the left. The rear Gunner was the postal clerk (name ?) who volunteered for the day to get some excitement in his life. I was the Crew Chief. The AC was WO2 Fischer and Lt. Sam Taylor was the Copilot. It was a beautiful day for flying, I had my Super 8 handy and took a fine scene of the support Huey and Crew on the ground. Then we had to go to work. Jack was lying in the hole and did a great job guiding the pilot in for the hookup. Everything went fine, we cleared the trees and were ready to go on our way. Then it happened! A big tremendous bang rang through the Hook. I turned around and there it was - a big hole in the side and my first thought was " Gosh.... that is it!!! Then I saw Jack was hanging half out the hole and the trap-door was on the top of him. I pulled him inside, he was unconscious, I told Mr. Fischer to drop everything and get the FE to the nearest Hospital, he looks in a bad shape. He said: "I'm doing the best I can, but it looks like the electricity is gone". We did not get far and we had to find a spot to land the Chinook because we lost all the Transmission Fluid and the Rotors where freezing up. Mr. Fischer found a big rice paddy and dropped smack in the middle of it. O' boy was that a hard landing. On dry land we most likely would not survived. A few minutes later the support crew with thier Huey was there to pick up Jack and Lt. Taylor, who thought that something had hit him. One guy from the Huey and the rest of as stayed behind. About ten minutes later the V.C. caught up with us and start shooting at us with thier AK's and fired a bunch of Mortars or RPG's in our direction. Those nasty things came so close we heard the water splashing on the Aircraft. The bullets where whistling through the window where the M60 was, some banged through the walls. Mr. Fischer stood in the little doorway to the pilot cabin and tried the radio. He got shot in the right leg. The rest of us made ourselves as small as we could. I did hear some praying beside me and I felt not too comfortable myself and hoping for the best. Somebody thought we needed help as artillery rounds where raining down around us. It must have being hundreds of them. When it finally stopped a big angel disguised as a Huey came and picked us up. You won't believe how fast you can climb up a thin steel rope. Charley still was trying to get me. The AK bullets again were buzzing around us like mad hornets. I counted myself lucky four times on that day. From all of us, I came away with the least - a small wound on my elbow, just enough for a bandage and a Purple Heart. Every time I get to Washington DC, I go to the Wall and pay my Respects to Jack, Gregory and Wayne.