Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-58A tail number
68-16888
The Army purchased this helicopter 0370
Total flight hours at this point: 00000541
Date: 02/15/71
Unit: HHT/3/17 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was REPAIRED IN THEATER
This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon
While in Operations Area this helicopter was Unknown at 0050 feet and 040
knots.
Helicopter took 3 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles
less than 20 mm in size. (7.62MM)
The helicopter Continued Flight.
The aircraft continued and accomplished all mission objectives.
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or
updated: Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter
database. Also: LNNF (Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. )
Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-58A tail number 68-16888
The Army purchased this helicopter 0370
Total flight hours at this point: 00000747
Date: 05/27/71 MIA-POW file reference number: 1749
Incident number: 71052755.KIA
Unit: A/3/17 CAV
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Armed Recon
While in Operations Area this helicopter was Unknown at 0050 feet and 070
knots.
UTM grid coordinates: XU661289
Count of hits was not possible because the helicopter burned or exploded.
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less
than 20 mm in size. (12.7MM)
causing a Fire.
Systems damaged were: PERSONNEL
Casualties = 02 DOI . .
The helicopter Crashed. Aircraft Destroyed.
Both mission and flight capability were terminated.
Burned
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or
updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Reference Notes. Defense
Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability
Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: 1749, LNNF,
FM386, CASRP (Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew: KNUCKEY, THOMAS WILLIAM;
Crew Members:
OB SGT TAYLOR PHILIP CHARLES RR
P 1LT KNUCKEY THOMAS WILLIAM RR
REFNO Synopsis:
SYNOPSIS: On May 27, 1971, 1Lt. Thomas W. Knuckey was
the pilot and Sgt. Phillip C. Taylor the observer on board an OH58A helicopter
which was part of a force conducting battle damage assessment (BDA) in Kracheh Province, Cambodia, where air strikes had been made
in attempts to destroy an enemy machine gun position. The location of the gun
emplacement was near the border of
This record was last updated on 08/22/00
The following is crew member information for this incident:
Name: 1LT Thomas William Knuckey
Status: Remains were returned on 1993
from an incident on 05/27/71 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 26.0
Date of Birth: 06/02/45
Service: AR branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: A/3/17 CAV
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Flight class: 70-42
Service: AR branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 03W-056
Short Summary: Hit by ground fire and exploded in flight while conducting a
battle damage assessment in
Aircraft: OH-58A tail number 68-16888
SSN: xxx-xx-xxxx
Country: Cambodia
MOS: 61204
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 03/10/71
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
The initial status of this person was: missing in action - interim
Length of service: *
Military grid coordinates of event: CLASSIFE
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Methodist (Evangelical United Brethren)
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this
incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel:
active duty Army Military class: officer
This record was last updated on 06/01/00
Name: SGT Philip Charles Taylor
Status: Remains were returned on 1993 from an incident on 05/27/71 while performing the
duty of Aerial Observer.
Age at death: 22.1
Date of Birth: 04/15/49
Home City:
Service: component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: A/3/17 CAV
Major organization: 1st Aviation Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 03W-056
Short Summary: Hit by ground fire and exploded in flight while conducting a
battle damage assessment in
Aircraft: OH-58A tail number 68-16888
SSN: xxx-xx-xxxx
Country: Cambodia
MOS: 11D2F = Armor Reconnaissance Specialist
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: small arms fire
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: observer
Vehicle ownership: government
Started Tour: 11/12/70
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - non-aircrew
The initial status of this person was: missing in action - interim
Length of service: *
Location: 99 Province
Military grid coordinates of event: CLASSIFE
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - died while missing
single male U.S. citizen
Race: Caucasian
Relgion: Roman Catholic
The following information is secondary, but may help in explaining this
incident.
Category of casualty as defined by the Army: battle dead Category of personnel:
active duty Army Military class: enlisted personnel
This record was last updated on 06/01/00
The following is Goldbook information on US Army
helicopter OH-58A tail number 68-16888
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 0370.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.
DATE FLT HRS UIC UNIT AREA POST COUNTRY