ARMY AIR CREWS: Osage Crewmembers Line of Duty Deaths

Submit corrections or updated information here - Post a message on the forum
(Updates to this site are ongoing as research is completed.)

Date	Name(s)	Location	Notes
09 MAY 84	P killed	Alabama	64 AVN TH-55A #67-16873 A/C crashed while on a solo training flight returning back to Hanchey AHP.
09 JUL 74	1LT John E. Onuschak	Alabama	Ground accident at Hanchey AHP. At approx 0500, student pilot gained access to A/C, started it up, exited A/C and walked back along the left side when he was struck by M/R blade.
21 OCT 71	2LT Nick L. Pontello [P]	Texas	TH-55A A/C hit the ground in level attitude with no forward movement during solo training flight at Ft. Wolters.
27 APR 71	2LT George E. Polk [P]	Texas	TH-55A A/C crashed into woods on solo training flight, contacted ground in an inverted attitude about 1230 ft from rotor blades at Ft. Wolters.
22 MAR 71	CW2 William C. Printy [P]	New Mexico	A/C crashed in the desert about 10 miles S of IH-10 west of Las Cruces while in a flight ferrying aircraft from Ft. Wolters to Davis-Monthan AFB boneyard. Pilot had recently returned to flight status from an admin position and was conducting very low level flight down railroad tracks below power lines on each side of track, when the A/C struck telephone wires along a road. After this accident, all further transfers of Osage's from Ft Wolters to Davis-Monthan AFB were done by flatbed semi-trucks.
08 DEC 70	WOC Glen L. Stinman	Texas	TH-55A #67-15435 A/C observed in autorotation during solo training hit ground nearly vertically and burned on impact.
02 DEC 70	WOC Craig A. Pettingill	Texas	TH-55A During solo training at Ft. Wolters, A/C observed entering a nose low left bank descent w/low roter RPM until it impacted ground.
06 NOV 70	WOC Craig M. Murdock	Texas	TH-55A A/C was on take off, entered erratic right descending turn back to heliport at tree top level, out of control nose low dive in 90 deg right bank.
02 JUL 70	WOC Dennis L. Berkey [P] WOC William R. Craycraft	Texas	TH-55A A/C observed unusual engine sounds, entered nose low attitude and descended nearly vertical to ground.
08 APR 70	CPT John M. Quam [IP] WOC Gregory S. Weaver	Texas	TH-55A A/C dual training observed nose down with M/R blades trailing aft along fuselage with no rotation near Mineral Wells.
01 APR 70	1LT Miguel A. Crespo-Rivera [P] 2LT Louis B. Coultress [P]	Texas	TH-55 A/C crashed near Caddo during Ft. Wolters night training mission after hitting trees.
20 OCT 69	CW2 John R. Fore [P] WOC Patrick R. Whitish	Texas	TH-55A A/C crashed 3 miles S of Mineral Wells on a training flight after hitting a power pole near FM 1195.
17 JUL 69	WOC Michael J. St. Andre [P]	Texas	TH-55A A/C crashed and burned 15 miles SE of Graham. Drive belts broke causing engine overspeed and decay in rotor rpm. A/C impacted with virtually zero rotor rpm.
06 JUN 69	WOC James M. Fowley [P]	Texas	TH-55A A/C crashed due to wire strike 9 miles west of Ranger on a training flight from Ft. Wolters.
07 MAR 69	WOC Malcom T. McGlasson	Texas	TH-55A A/C crashed during solo training. Inadvertent ground contact occurred during hover hitting T/R and crashing to the right near Ft. Wolters.
18 FEB 69	WOC William R. Eversole [P]	Texas	TH-55A Mid-air crash with OH-13 near the Holiday Inn in Mineral Wells during training at Ft Wolters.
18 DEC 68	WOC Victor E. McKnight [P]	Texas	TH-55A A/C crashed about 8 miles N of Mineral Wells while on a routine solo training flight from Ft. Wolters. McKnight died 2 days later.
18 NOV 68	2LT Kenneth G. Eckel [P]	Texas	TH-55A Mid-air collision during routine training flight at Ft. Wolters. Other A/C pilot not injured.
31 OCT 68	2LT Reuben F. Pettiford [P] 2LT William H. Shackelford	Texas	TH-55A A/C crashed on the Barron Ranch approx 3 mi west of Stephenville while on local navigation training mission.
09 OCT 68	1LT Geoffrey G. Oveson [IP] WOC Alan B. Tieman	Texas	TH-55A A/C hit power lines low level due to low ceiling on student cross country training mission and crashed near Weatherford on flight from Ft. Wolters.
23 SEP 68	CW2 Lance E. Fodge [P]	Texas	TH-55A Thrust bearing failure at Downey Heliport at Ft. Wolters due to maintenance.
23 SEP 68	2LT Dale A. Caynar [P]	Texas	TH-55A A/C crashed during dual training mission, climbing out at 250', pitched up, entered left turn autorotation, lost RPM crashed to ground near Ft. Wolters.
09 JUL 68	WO Peter C. Hooper [P] WOC Dwight Mullins	Texas	TH-55 A/C was on a flight to Ft. Wolters from Dempsey Heliport when it crashed 2 mi. S of Palo Pinto.
21 JUN 68	CW2 Ezekiel A. Williams [P]	Texas	A/C crashed at Ft. Wolters. Cause of crash: Electric clutch actuator malfunctioned at 100' 35 knots, engine failed, good autorotation, fuel tank ruptured on impact. CW2 Williams died 22JUN68 from injuries.
05 MAR 68	2LT Douglas H. Howard	Texas	TH-55A Mid-air collision during training 5 miles N of Weatherford.
05 MAR 68	2LT James A. Wright	Texas
14 DEC 67	CPT Jimmy W. Stewart [IP]	Texas	TH-55A A/C struck a power line and crashed near Mineral Wells.
11 DEC 67	CWO Robert E. Yarbrough [IP] WOC William C. Marks	Texas	TH-55A A/C crashed on a routine training flight near Garner.
27 APR 67	WOC Henry D. Nicholson Jr	Texas	TH-55A A/C crashed approx 3 1/2 miles east of Mineral Wells while on a routine solo flight training mission.
05 DEC 66	WOC James R. Carlson [P]	Texas	TH-55 Midair collision at 2,000' at 0900 hours approx 10 mi NW of Mineral Wells during solo cross country flight. Student pilot in other acft made emergency landing and was uninjured.
19 AUG 66	WOC George C. Brown [P]	Texas	TH-55 A/C crashed on a training flight on a hillside just north of US Hwy 180 approx 1 mile west of Mineral Wells. Lost control while trying to change seats while solo.

Top of Page

This website is not a product of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, or any other government agency.

Website Development by