KIA INCIDENT: 19700519 HMM-262 Vietnam

Brothers (& Sisters) Killed in Action in USMC Helicopters or while assigned to USMC Helicopter or Tiltrotor Squadrons

19700519HMM-262 Vietnam

Download PDF

Incident Date 19700519 HMM-262 CH-46D ET-2 - Air Loss, Fall from retraction ladder

[PASSENGERS]
Yancey, Craig Martin Pvt Passenger Recon Team DEFEND/"C"Co/1stRec 1970-05-19 (vvm 10W:068)

YANCEY CRAIG MARTIN : 446482479 : USMC : PVT : E1 : 0311 : 19 : TULSA : OK : 19700519 : Air Loss, knocked from ladder during retraction after impact with tree : Passenger : body recovered : Quang Nam (Da Nang) : 01 : 19501202 : Cauc : Protestant/single : 10W : 068

Recon Patrol Report

Recon Team DEFEND Patrol Report - Team Leader SGT EMERSON

191310H VIC [vicinity] ZC065856. TEAM WAS MOVING SE BREAKING BRUSH WHEN THE POINTMAN RECEIVED SAF [small arms fire] HITTING HIM IN THE RIGHT FOREARM AND CHEST. TEAM WENT INTO IMMEDIATE ACTION AND POINTMAN CRAWLED BACK UNBDER BASE OF FIRE PUT DOWN BY TEAM. TEAM OBSERVED MOVEMENT TO SE FROM POSSIBLY 2 ENEMY. TEAM MOVED TO RIDGELINE IN ORDER TO GET COMM. TEAM CALLED RADIO RELAY FOR EMERGENCY EXTRACT FOR THE WIA AND AO AND GUNSHIPS. TEAM SET UP A 360 DEGREE DEFENSE VIC ZC064857. AO AND GUNSHIPS CAME ON STATION AND EXPENDED THEIR ONBOARD ORDINANCE TO THE S, SE OF THE TEAM’S POSITION WHERE THEY HAD TAKEN THE SAF WITH EXCELLENT COVERAGE OF THE TARGET AREA. TEAM MADE EMERGENCY MEDEVAC OF POINTMAN BY USE OF JUNGLE PENETRATOR AT APPROX 1435H. TEAM MOVED TO THE VIC ZC068859 FOR A LADDER ZONE. AS THE TEAM MOVED THEY HEARD MOVEMENT TO THEIR REAR TO THE S AND SE. HOWEVER, GUNSHIPS CONTINUED TO FIRE ON THE ENEMY. TEAM HOOKED UP FOR A LADDER EXTRACT AND IT IS PROBABLE THAT CPL SNEDEKER BECAME CAUGHT UNDER A BOULDER AS THE LADDER LIFTED OFF AND AS A RESULT OF THIS HE UNHOOKED HIMSELF AFTER TAKING VERY HARD JOLT. AS THE LADDER WAS LIFTED IT BANGED AGAINST THE TREES THROWING PVT YANCEY FROM THE LADDER TO THE GROUND. AS A RESULT OF THE FALL, PVT YANCEY WAS KILLED. THE HELO CIRCLED THE ZONE AND DROPPED THE LADDER AGAIN AND THE TEAM RETRIEVED PVT YANCEY’S BODY AND FREED CPL SNEDEKER FROM THE BOULDER. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT PVT YANCEY HAD UNHOOKED HIMSELF IN ORDER TO LEND ASSISTANCE TO CPL SNEDEKER WHO HAD BECOME ENTANGLED IN BOULDERS ON THE INITIAL EXTRACT, THUS MAKING HIMSELF VULNERABLE FOR THE BLOW CAUSED WHEN THE LADDER HIT THE TREES. TEAM WAS EXTRACTED AT 1540H, AND THE FIRST ROUND OF 50 ROUNDS OF 175MM ARTILLERY LANDED ON TARGET AT 1602H.


PATROL DEPARTURE: 170915H MAY 70
PATROL RETURN: 191530H MAY 70


PATROL MEMBERS [Team DEFEND]:

SGT EMERSON
LCPL PSARAS, [WIA (POINTMAN WOUNDED)]
CPL SNEDEKER, [WIA (DURING RETRACTION)]
PFC VINSON
PVT YANCEY, [KIA (DURING RETRACTION)]
PFC MCGUIRE
PFC MILLER

Submitted by: Alan H Barbour, Historian, USMC Comabt Helicopter Association, 20060403

After Action Report - HMM-262

HMM-262 Mission Number 80 - Recon Extract
19 May 1970
Time of T/O: 1435
Time of Landing: 1630

A/C:
2 CH-46D (HMM-262)
1 OV-10A (VMO-2)
2 AH-1G (HML-367)

ET-2 (Flight Leader)
ME Lyman (P)
EC McGrew (CP)
F. Pipich (CC)
H. Robbins (G)
JL Kerby (G)

ET-5 (chase a/c)
RM Lloyd (P)
JJ Gulvas (CP)
FW Hettenhouser (CC)
TH Thompson (G)
JE Lindser (G)

Recon Extract Coordinates: ZC 0685

6 RECON PAX - 1stMARDIV

ZC 066855 (1st a/c - one flight)
AT 995555 (2nd a/c - two flights - 16 PAX) Chase and SAR for Beach 3-1

No ordnance expended

Submitted by: Alan H Barbour, Historian, USMC Combat Helicopter Association, 20060404