October 1967 Crash at Phan Thiet

Company A

227th Assault Helicopter Battalion

1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile)

October 1967 Crash at Phan Thiet

WO1 Ralph E. Bowen KIA (Pilot)

WO1 Donald R. Phipps KIA (Pilot)

PFC Stanley R. Uding KIA (Crew Chief)

CPL Gary L. Holz KIA (Gunner)

all members of Company A, 227th Assault Helicopter Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division
Flying helicopter UH-1H tail number 66-16803

Accident Summary:
This aircraft was in formation on final approach. At approximately 100 feet altitude, the aircraft pitched up to 90 degrees nose high attitude, rolled right, crashed, and burned. Suspect outer ring failure.

Section One

by Larry Bayer
I was attached to LZ Betty at Phan Thiet from around July of 1967 until November of 1967
from a direct support supply and service company that was located in Phan Rang.

From an email to Ron Holz, brother of Gary Holz

My memory is not as good as I would like it to be, so some dates or details may be off a little. As I recall, I did not know Gary (Holz) personally. I remember seeing him around the LZ once in a while, but do not remember having any long conversations with Gary. Gary's pictures that you posted on your site refreshed my memory of him. I was attached to LZ Betty at Phan Thiet from around July of 1967 until November of 1967 from a direct support supply and service company that was located in Phan Rang. I had contact with Gary on several occasions in relations to supplies but do not recall much except that Gary was very likable and soft spoken man.
On the morning of October 5, 1967, which I think was a Sunday because on Sundays we had a weekly formation of the troops. I believe that the formations were held around 0700 on Sundays which was earlier then when we went to work on the other days of the week. Usually, at around 0700 on regular days, I would be getting dressed and shaving. An attached picture from inside our GP Medium tent looking out the back door/flap shows a wooden home made shower with a small shelf and a round mirror hanging on it's side. This was my mirror and spot where I would wash up and shave in the mornings. But since this was a Sunday, I was out of our GP Medium tent early and on my way to the formation a short distance away when I heard a flight of choppers coming in overhead from the outlying firebases.
All of a sudden there was a different chopping type noise and boxes of ammunition, flares and other items were hitting the ground all around me. I dropped to the ground and heard a crashing sound and a fuel type explosion. Actually it probably was not an actual explosion but the JP4 igniting. I looked up and saw a large ball of fire and smoke rising up from behind the tent in which I slept. I ran the short distance to the crash site where the broken chopper was laying on it side and fire was coming out of the open side door. Several other GI's were already there and pulling/helping a crewman who I think was the door gunner on the chopper's up side out of the fire and put him on top of the bunker behind our tent, that we had just built a few days before. I think that this was Gary, but I am not sure. M-60 ammo was cooking off and the medics soon arrived and moved Gary a short distance away from the fire and started treating his injuries. At this point in time I and others were trying to open the door on the up side of the chopper to get the two pilots out. We could see the two pilots moving inside but we could not get the door open so I ran to a supply tent to get a hatchet. When I returned a few minutes later with a hatchet, we tried again to get the door open with the hatchet, but we couldn't and the chopper's skin was too hot to touch. By then it was too late for the pilots and they weren't moving anymore and the "Fire Dept" had arrived and started spraying foam on the chopper.
At this point, I wandered into my tent and took a picture from inside our tent showing the firemen on the scene.

Larry Bayer Photo
About the same time, I heard someone yell about getting a truck to transport the injured crewman to a "dust off" to take the injured crew member to a field hospital. I ran with another soldier and got a 3/4 ton truck and took it back to the scene. The medics loaded Gary into the back of the truck and drove away to an awaiting flight out. For some reason, I did not drive the truck from there. I think a medic drove the truck. I was asked to help get the other door gunner who was on the ground side of the chopper out and went to get a fork lift to lift the chopper. When I returned they had already had the other door gunner out. I believe he had been crushed on impact of the chopper with the ground. I do not recall when they were able to get the pilot' bodies out. As I recall, Gary was conscious most of the time and very calm for someone with his degree of burns. It appeared like he was making small talk with the medics and had his pain under control. We were told that Gary was on his way to the Houston Burn Center, but several days later we were told that he didn't make it. Sometime after this I went in and took a couple of more pictures of the chopper before we were told not to take any pictures and if anyone took any pictures, they were to be destroyed. I did not turn in my film for destruction, maybe I was not personally asked or maybe I didn't want to lose all of the photos on that roll. I just don't remember...
The chopper was left where it hit for several days so that investigators could do their work before it was removed. As you can see by the pictures it hit just a few feet from the back of our tent. Had it been any other day of the week, I would have probably been hit by the chopper or pieces of it's rotors. All of these years, I have had dreams about this accident and did not know any of the crew's names until I saw your website.

Larry Bayer Photo

Larry Bayer Photo

Larry Bayer Photo

Larry Bayer Photo
Actually, I try not to think of some of my Viet Nam experiences and have avoided seeking out any information about them. Maybe some day, I will do some research. The reason I saw your website was because I am being treated for PTSD and the VA wanted the name of the LZ at Phan Thiet but I could not remember so I goggled it. I have just retired after a career with the U.S. Immigration and Border Protection Service as an armed officer. Many more times than I can recall, I have thought about this crewman, who I now know was Gary who was so strong in mind and spirit that he could handle his injuries and pain without complaining. I always hoped that if I was ever injured in the line of duty that I could control my pain and emotions as well as Gary did so very many years ago. I am sorry about your loss of Gary, but he has never been forgotten by a fellow soldier who never really knew him but had his life so effected by their paths crossing so many years ago."

Section Two

by Brad Daghita
Gunner/Motor SGT
A/227 AHB, 1 CAV
Phan Thiet

I served with A Company two tours: August 67 - March 68 and June 69 - June 70.
I was a gunner/Motor SGT at Phan Thiet, Bong Son, Camp Evans, Lai Khe, Phuoc Vinh. Saw good times and bad. I remember like it was yesterday the deaths of Mr.Bowen, Mr. Phipps, Mr. Uding, and Mr. Holz returning from Vung Tau with the new model slick UH-1H to replace the D models.
I was outside the orderly room watching the flight formation on short final when their bird careened to the right and crashed into the 27th Maintenance Battalion area. Major Ferrier and myself ran across the runway with fire extinguishers, but the fire had been put out by the time we got there.
I remember walking to the front of the aircraft and thought, "Their just asleep" ( Mr. Phipps and Bowen) still strapped in. Mr. Uding was under the bird when the engine and mast head with the transmission collapsed to the left side. I walked back to Mr. Holtz, his Nomex suit was totally burned off, his body still smoking. His boots were the only thing he still had on.
They medevac'd him to Vung Tau but I later heard he died there.

Section Three

by Philip Tilghman
Information added April 2023

I know this site has been around for a while but only became familiar with it just a few years ago.
I was almost directly under that chopper when it began to fall. It fell about 75’ from me, directly behind our HQ tent. I watched the crewman jump attempting to save himself, but the chopper ended up landing on top of him. I ran to the chopper immediately but could only get to about 20’ when the ammo cooking off along with the flames stopped me. I was on the side of the landing sleds.
The chopper remained a few days and when removed they brought in a dog to find the hand of the crew member who had jumped. To this day I distinctly remember the smell from that wreck as if it were yesterday.
I was a 1st Lieutenant on TDY with a supply unit at the time. I’ve been in touch with the brother of one of the crew.