Specialist Four (SP4) David Errol Clarke, served as a Civil Affairs Aircraft Structural Repairer/Gunner, with the 62nd Aviation Company, 1st Aviation Brigade, United States Army, Vietnam.
The aircraft suffered a tail rotor strike departing a ship in Da Nang Harbor with a high ranking ARVN General. Two crewmen, aircraft commander WO1 William A. Gunnells and gunner SP4 David E. Clarke were killed in the crash. The pilot and crew chief were rescued. Five passengers also lost their lives, including COL Albert W. Smarr and MAJ William J. Morgan. MAJ Morgan's remains were never recovered. Three Vietnamese passengers also died in the crash. A sixth passenger, an Army major, was rescued. There are three further accounts of this incident: #1 - MAJ William J. Morgan was a passenger aboard a UH1H helicopter (tail #69-15391) that crashed in the Da Nang Harbor on February 25, 1972. The helicopter was recovered on March 17, 1972 and all personnel aboard the aircraft were accounted for except MAJ Morgan. It was concluded that his body drifted from the aircraft and either out to sea or to the beaches of nearby Mui Da Nang Island. A further search at the main harbor was not feasible, and MAJ Morgan was listed as dead, remains non-recoverable. No enemy action is associated with the loss. Search and recovery efforts in Vietnam were the best and most successful ever seen in wartime. They were so successful, in fact, that the numbers of those remaining missing in action were dramatically reduced over previous wars. #2 - Upon lift off from the destroyer helipad, the helicopter executed a right pedal turn causing the tail rotor to impact the guard rail on the next higher deck. Impact caused the tail rotor to separate from the aircraft and strike the main rotor, which in turn severed the tail boom. The helicopter crashed in the water inverted and sank. Four of the ten personnel aboard exited the helicopter. One was struck by the main rotor and killed. Three were recovered by swimmers from the destroyer. #3 - I was on the USS Craig (February 25, 1972) when the slick, 68-15391, from the 62nd Assault Helicopter Company took off, had a tail strike, and crashed in the DaNang harbor, killing one pilot, WO1 William A. Gunnells, and one crew member, SP4 David E Clarke. I was taking pictures (the film was confiscated by the accident board) and remember it pretty well. (From Mark Attebury, March 1997) [Taken from vhpa.org]
HONORED ON PANEL 2W, LINE 109 OF THE WALL
Contributor: D.C. Adams (47244039)
The aircraft suffered a tail rotor strike departing a ship in Da Nang Harbor with a high ranking ARVN General. Two crewmen, aircraft commander WO1 William A. Gunnells and gunner SP4 David E. Clarke were killed in the crash. The pilot and crew chief were rescued. Five passengers also lost their lives, including COL Albert W. Smarr and MAJ William J. Morgan. MAJ Morgan's remains were never recovered. Three Vietnamese passengers also died in the crash. A sixth passenger, an Army major, was rescued. There are three further accounts of this incident: #1 - MAJ William J. Morgan was a passenger aboard a UH1H helicopter (tail #69-15391) that crashed in the Da Nang Harbor on February 25, 1972. The helicopter was recovered on March 17, 1972 and all personnel aboard the aircraft were accounted for except MAJ Morgan. It was concluded that his body drifted from the aircraft and either out to sea or to the beaches of nearby Mui Da Nang Island. A further search at the main harbor was not feasible, and MAJ Morgan was listed as dead, remains non-recoverable. No enemy action is associated with the loss. Search and recovery efforts in Vietnam were the best and most successful ever seen in wartime. They were so successful, in fact, that the numbers of those remaining missing in action were dramatically reduced over previous wars. #2 - Upon lift off from the destroyer helipad, the helicopter executed a right pedal turn causing the tail rotor to impact the guard rail on the next higher deck. Impact caused the tail rotor to separate from the aircraft and strike the main rotor, which in turn severed the tail boom. The helicopter crashed in the water inverted and sank. Four of the ten personnel aboard exited the helicopter. One was struck by the main rotor and killed. Three were recovered by swimmers from the destroyer. #3 - I was on the USS Craig (February 25, 1972) when the slick, 68-15391, from the 62nd Assault Helicopter Company took off, had a tail strike, and crashed in the DaNang harbor, killing one pilot, WO1 William A. Gunnells, and one crew member, SP4 David E Clarke. I was taking pictures (the film was confiscated by the accident board) and remember it pretty well. (From Mark Attebury, March 1997) [Taken from vhpa.org]
HONORED ON PANEL 2W, LINE 109 OF THE WALL
Contributor: D.C. Adams (47244039)
Specialist Four (SP4) David Errol Clarke, served as a Civil Affairs Aircraft Structural Repairer/Gunner, with the 62nd Aviation Company, 1st Aviation Brigade, United States Army, Vietnam.
The aircraft suffered a tail rotor strike departing a ship in Da Nang Harbor with a high ranking ARVN General. Two crewmen, aircraft commander WO1 William A. Gunnells and gunner SP4 David E. Clarke were killed in the crash. The pilot and crew chief were rescued. Five passengers also lost their lives, including COL Albert W. Smarr and MAJ William J. Morgan. MAJ Morgan's remains were never recovered. Three Vietnamese passengers also died in the crash. A sixth passenger, an Army major, was rescued. There are three further accounts of this incident: #1 - MAJ William J. Morgan was a passenger aboard a UH1H helicopter (tail #69-15391) that crashed in the Da Nang Harbor on February 25, 1972. The helicopter was recovered on March 17, 1972 and all personnel aboard the aircraft were accounted for except MAJ Morgan. It was concluded that his body drifted from the aircraft and either out to sea or to the beaches of nearby Mui Da Nang Island. A further search at the main harbor was not feasible, and MAJ Morgan was listed as dead, remains non-recoverable. No enemy action is associated with the loss. Search and recovery efforts in Vietnam were the best and most successful ever seen in wartime. They were so successful, in fact, that the numbers of those remaining missing in action were dramatically reduced over previous wars. #2 - Upon lift off from the destroyer helipad, the helicopter executed a right pedal turn causing the tail rotor to impact the guard rail on the next higher deck. Impact caused the tail rotor to separate from the aircraft and strike the main rotor, which in turn severed the tail boom. The helicopter crashed in the water inverted and sank. Four of the ten personnel aboard exited the helicopter. One was struck by the main rotor and killed. Three were recovered by swimmers from the destroyer. #3 - I was on the USS Craig (February 25, 1972) when the slick, 68-15391, from the 62nd Assault Helicopter Company took off, had a tail strike, and crashed in the DaNang harbor, killing one pilot, WO1 William A. Gunnells, and one crew member, SP4 David E Clarke. I was taking pictures (the film was confiscated by the accident board) and remember it pretty well. (From Mark Attebury, March 1997) [Taken from vhpa.org]
HONORED ON PANEL 2W, LINE 109 OF THE WALL
Contributor: D.C. Adams (47244039)
The aircraft suffered a tail rotor strike departing a ship in Da Nang Harbor with a high ranking ARVN General. Two crewmen, aircraft commander WO1 William A. Gunnells and gunner SP4 David E. Clarke were killed in the crash. The pilot and crew chief were rescued. Five passengers also lost their lives, including COL Albert W. Smarr and MAJ William J. Morgan. MAJ Morgan's remains were never recovered. Three Vietnamese passengers also died in the crash. A sixth passenger, an Army major, was rescued. There are three further accounts of this incident: #1 - MAJ William J. Morgan was a passenger aboard a UH1H helicopter (tail #69-15391) that crashed in the Da Nang Harbor on February 25, 1972. The helicopter was recovered on March 17, 1972 and all personnel aboard the aircraft were accounted for except MAJ Morgan. It was concluded that his body drifted from the aircraft and either out to sea or to the beaches of nearby Mui Da Nang Island. A further search at the main harbor was not feasible, and MAJ Morgan was listed as dead, remains non-recoverable. No enemy action is associated with the loss. Search and recovery efforts in Vietnam were the best and most successful ever seen in wartime. They were so successful, in fact, that the numbers of those remaining missing in action were dramatically reduced over previous wars. #2 - Upon lift off from the destroyer helipad, the helicopter executed a right pedal turn causing the tail rotor to impact the guard rail on the next higher deck. Impact caused the tail rotor to separate from the aircraft and strike the main rotor, which in turn severed the tail boom. The helicopter crashed in the water inverted and sank. Four of the ten personnel aboard exited the helicopter. One was struck by the main rotor and killed. Three were recovered by swimmers from the destroyer. #3 - I was on the USS Craig (February 25, 1972) when the slick, 68-15391, from the 62nd Assault Helicopter Company took off, had a tail strike, and crashed in the DaNang harbor, killing one pilot, WO1 William A. Gunnells, and one crew member, SP4 David E Clarke. I was taking pictures (the film was confiscated by the accident board) and remember it pretty well. (From Mark Attebury, March 1997) [Taken from vhpa.org]
HONORED ON PANEL 2W, LINE 109 OF THE WALL
Contributor: D.C. Adams (47244039)
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