CLARK COUNTY, ILLINOIS MILITARY DATABASE

Remember our Clark County patriots. Some lie in national cemeteries. Some sleep in hometown graves. Some never made it home. But all have something in common. They made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country, our freedom and our quality of life.

Edgar Davidson Berner (Marshall, IL), CWO, Vietnam
Description of downed helicopter

Date: 07/03/1969

Incident number: 690703251ACD

Accident case number: 690703251 Total loss or fatality Accident

Unit: 3 Brigrade, 101st Airborne

The station for this helicopter was Camp Evans in South Vietnam

Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 4 . . Passengers = 1

Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )

Loss to Inventory

Crew Members:

Aircraft Commander, W1, E. NAVARRETTE

Pilot, W1, E. BERNER

Crew Chief, E4, O.R. CARLO

Gunner, E3, D.G. OSTERMILLER

Passengers and/or other participants:

Msgt. Robert Albanese, AR, PX, Killed in Action

Accident Summary:

THE CREW HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN COMMAND AND CONTROL MISSIONS MOST OF THE DAY. THEY HAD EXCHANGED AIRCRAFT WITH ANOTHER CREW ABOUT ONE HOUR BEFORE THE ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF RADIO DIFFICULTIES. AFTER A DROP OFF AT AIRBORNE, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER WAS REQUESTED TO MAKE A PICKUP OF ONE PASSENGER FROM FIRE BASE BERCHTESGADEN 9000 METERS AWAY. AIRCRAFT 6717855 LANDED AT BERCHTES GADEN AND PICKED UP ONE PASSENGER, MSG ROBERT ALBANESE, WHO GOT IN THE AIRCRAFT AND SAT IN THE SECOND SEAT FROM THE RIGHT. HE WAS OBSERVED FUMBLING WITH THE SEAT BELT AS THOUGH FASTENING IT. NO CHECK WAS SPECIFICALLY MADE TO INSURE THAT ALL PERSONNEL HAD ON SAFETY BELTS.
THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF AND BEGAN TO CLIMB OUT AT 80 KNOTS AND APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET PER MINUTE RATE OF CLIMB. AT A POINT 2000 METERS SOUTHWEST OF FB AIRBORNE, AND 500 FEET ABOVE THE TERRAIN, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE AIRCRAFT YAWED TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN IN FLIGHT FROM BERCHTES GADEN ABOUT TEN MINUTES. THE YAW WAS CORRECTED AND AN AUTOROTATION INITIATED. THE PILOT STATED HE HAD BEEN MONITORING THE INSTRUMENTS UP TO THE POINT OF THE LOUD BANG AND HAD OBSERVED NOTHING UNUSUAL. AFTER THE LOUD BANG, THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER REPORTED NO ABNORMAL READINGS ON THE INSTRUMENTS; EXCEPT FOR A HIGH RPM READING DURING THE ACTUAL AUTOROTATION. THE CREW CHIEF AND GUNNER BOTH REPORT SEEING SPARKS AND FLAMES COMING FROM THE EXHAUST. THE CREW CHIEF OBSERVED THE PASSENGER TO STAND UP AND LOOK AROUND RIGHT AFTER THE EXPLOSION. THE CONTROLS WERE FREE AND THE AIRFRAME INTACT. THE PILOT ISSUED A MAYDAY ON UHF. THERE WAS NO SUITABLE PLACE TO ATTEMPT TO LAND SO THE AIRCRAFT COMMANDER SHOT AN AUTOROTATIVE APPROACH TO ZERO AIRSPEED JUST ABOVE THE TREE TOPS. AS THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED THE TREES HE PULLED PITCH TO CUSHION AND ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT ESSENTIALLY WENT STRAIGHT DOWN AND ROLLED RIGHT. THE PASSENGER PRESUMABLY FELL OUT AND HE WAS CRUSHED BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT AND A TREE OF 12" DIAMETER. HE WAS KILLED INSTANTLY. THE CREW AFFECTED EGRESS AND WERE RESCUED SOME 15 TO 30 MINUTES LATER WITH A JUNGLE PENETRATOR RIG.

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