WHO WE ARE

On May 4, 1970, a U.S. Army helicopter UH-1H (tail number 68-16244) from A Company, 101st Assault Helicopter Battalion, 101st Airborne Division, was assigned flare standby for night illumination missions in support of the 1st Infantry Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (AMBL). At approximately 1930 hours, Company A operations received a mission request to provide illumination for a practice Red Alert at FSB Kathryn in Thua Thien Province, RVN. Around 1955 hours, UH-1H (#68-16244), Comanchero 20, departed the Company A helipad enroute to FSB Kathryn and arrived at that location at 2020 hours. The crew included aircraft commander 1LT Larry F. Mattingly, pilot CW2 Tommy L. Kearsley, crew chief SGT Thomas O. Ahlberg, gunner SGT Rodney A. Taylor, and observer SGT Dean L. Aitken. Ten minutes later, two AH-1G Cobra attack helicopters from B Battery, 4th Battalion, 77th Aerial Rocket Artillery (ARA), departed Camp Eagle enroute to FSB Kathryn for the practice Red Alert. The wing ship of the flight of two AH-1G aircraft was #67-15620, call sign Toro 91D. Its crew comprised pilots WO1 Dean L. Bonneau and CPT Douglas N. Winfrey. While sharing the same air space, a mid-air collision occurred between the flare ship and Cobra wing ship. An investigation into the accident led the inquiry board to believe that while dropping flares, the UH-1H became engulfed by fire after a flare malfunction. The UH-1H started a descent to the ground and in the process made contact with Toro 91D. This contact resulted in the loss of the UH-1H's rotor system while damaging the AH-1G. Toro 91D caught fire and the two aircraft separated, the UH-1H falling to the ground in flames while the Toro 91D proceeded in what appeared to be an autorotative glide, crashing in heavily wooded and mountainous terrain. There were no survivors from either aircraft.