Helicopter OH-6A 67-16592

Information on U.S. Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16592
The Army purchased this helicopter 0169
Total flight hours at this point: 00000429
Date: 08/18/1969
Incident number: 69081818.KIA
Unit: 173 ABN
This was a Combat incident. This helicopter was LOSS TO INVENTORY
This was a Recon mission for Unarmed Recon
While On Target this helicopter was Attacking at 0025 feet and UNK knots.
South Vietnam
Helicopter took 2 hits from:
Small Arms/Automatic Weapons; Gun launched non-explosive ballistic projectiles less than 20 mm in size. (12.7MM)
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 Helicopter Loss database. Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center Helicopter database. Also: OPERA, LNNF, JSIDR, CASRP (Operations Report. Lindenmuth New Format Data Base. Joint Services Incident Damage Report. Casualty Report. )
Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:
P 1LT BASSIGNANI WILLIAM JOHN KIA
CE SP4 GOMEZ-DIAZ RIGOBERTO KIA
This record was last updated on 05/25/1998

The following is crew member information for this incident:

Name: SP4 Rigoberto Gomez-Diaz (posthumously promoted)
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 08/18/1969 while performing the duty of Crew Chief.
Age at death: 20.7
Date of Birth: 12/08/1948
Home City: Los Angeles, CA
Service: regular component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: HHC 173 ABN BDE
Major organization: 173rd Airborne Brigade
Service: U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 19W-060
Aircraft: OH-6A tail number 67-16592
SSN: 573767375
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 67N2P = UH-1 Helicopter Repairer
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: crew chief
Started Tour: 01/24/1969
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - other aircrew
Length of service: 02
Location: Quang Ngai Province I Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
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 04/26/2002

Name: 1LT William John Bassignani
Status: Killed In Action from an incident on 08/18/1969 while performing the duty of Pilot.
Age at death: 26.6
Date of Birth: 01/21/1943
Home City: Newfane, VT
Service: IN branch of the reserve component of the U.S. Army.
Unit: 173 ABN BDE
Major organization: 173rd Airborne Brigade
Flight class: 68-516/68-28
Service: IN branch of the U.S. Army.
The Wall location: 19W-058
Short Summary: An Loa Valley south west of FSB Tape.
Aircraft: OH-6A tail number 67-16592
SSN: 009286365
Country: South Vietnam
MOS: 1981 = 19 Rotary Wing Aviator (Unit Commander)
Primary cause: Hostile Fire
Major attributing cause: aircraft connected not at sea
Compliment cause: fire or burns
Vehicle involved: helicopter
Position in vehicle: pilot
Started Tour: 12/20/1968
"Official" listing: helicopter air casualty - pilot
Length of service: 06
Location: Quang Ngai Province I Corps.
Reason: aircraft lost or crashed
Casualty type: Hostile - killed
married 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: officer
This record was last updated on 05/25/1998

The following is Goldbook information on US Army helicopter OH-6A tail number 67-16592
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 0169.
Please provide any additional information on this helicopter to the VHPA.

 
DATE  FLT HRS    UIC      UNIT          AREA          POST          COUNTRY
196901   0    0 W0Y6AA OS TO CONUS      ITR CONUS                   AVCOMITR   
196902   1    1 W0MHAA DIR SUP / TRAN   IN TRANSIT SHARPE AD        AVCOM           
196903  79   80 WARJAA HQ 173AIRBN BDE  VIETNAM                     RVN      
196904 110  190 WARJAA HQ 173AIRBN BDE  VIETNAM                     RVN       
196905  56  246 WARJAA HQ 173AIRBN BDE  VIETNAM                     RVN       
196906  65  311 WARJAA HQ 173AIRBN BDE  VIETNAM                     RVN       
196907 118  429 WARJAA HQ 173AIRBN BDE  VIETNAM                     RVN       
196908   0  429 WCLNAA 79 TRANS CO      VIETNAM                     RVN

Please send additions or corrections to:

Gary Roush

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Printed from databases on: 12/28/2016

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