Clearing The Record On The Loss Of A Great Friend
The following information was placed on below website. It was incorrectly stated so I sent them my letter to have the record cleared. This is not a first hand story however I received the information from the survivors on June 16th,two days after the incident.
http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/m/m403.htm
SYNOPSIS: MSGT David V. McLeod was a crew member onboard an HH-53C helicopter shot down in northwestern Cambodia on June 14, 1973. The aircraft went down over Tonle Sap, a large lake forming the southern border of Siemreab Province. Just north of the lake are the ruins of famed Angkor Wat.
The fate of the rest of the crew is unknown, but as none are missing, it is assumed that they were either rescued or their bodies recovered. Another possibility, although remote, is that the crew consisted of indigenous personnel. In this case, U.S. records would not record their loss. [see update below]
I am writing to comment on your BIO concerning MSgt. David V. McLeod,Jr. USAF. He was the Flight Engineer on a HH-53C Jolly Green Giant helicopter attached to the 40th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron (ARRSq) that went down (crashed) in Tonle Sap, a large lake on the southern border of Siemreab Province in Northwestern Cambodia. THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT SHOT DOWN. As an update to your file on Msgt. McLeod.
The aircraft and crew were returning from strip SAR (Search & Rescue alert) in Thailand to their homebase (Nakhon Phanom, RTAFB, Thailand.
Normal routine for the returning crews was to fly out over the lake in Cambodia and meet a USAF C-130 refuel aircraft and make several (dry) contacts on the refueling hoses then to actually refuel from the C-130 and fly back to NKP, Thailand.
On 14 June 1973 The Jolly Green was in the refueling formation with the C-130 and had just disconnected from the refueling hose when the helicopter rapidly pitched nose up then nose down, doing this several times. The helicopter descended into the lake upside down. The two pararescuemen sitting on the ramp were thrown out of the back of the helicopter when it pitched nose up. Normal procedure for air refueling was, all crewmembers have on backpack parachutes, all windows, doors and hatches closed except for the aft cargo ramp(optional).
The pilot, Gilbert Allan Rovito, Capt, USAF (body recovered)and co-pilot, Francis E. Meador, USAF (body recovered)was also killed in the crash.
An effort was made to recover the helicopter and Msgt.McLeod's body. A sling was attached to the underbody of the helicopter, e.g.. the cargo hook and the landing gear. When the helicopter was lifted it was found that the impact of the helicopter going in inverted had sheared the airframe, at the airframe to inside deck (cargo)area. The helicopter broke apart at this shear and the top of the helicopter was
unrecoverable. Msgt. McLeod's body was never found. The inside of the wreckage and surrounding area was searched extensively. (given the time and situation).
The two Pararescuemen that were thrown out relayed this to me on 16 June 1973. The reason is because I was a flight Engineer in the 40th ARRSq during that period and the crew of that helicopter was my HARD crew. (we had crews assigned as hard crew members such as pilot, co-pilot,Flight Engineer, and two pararescue men). Those five people made up a hard crew and when the crew was assigned to fly, all five would be scheduled to fly together. The reason it wasn't me that was killed is due to my brother being killed in Florida and I was on emergency leave. Msgt. McLeod was my supervisor and was flying in my place until I returned to NKP, Thailand. I returned the day after the accident happened. The crash was relayed to me when I returned.
(Woody Freeman)
http://www.pownetwork.org/bios/m/m403.htm
SYNOPSIS: MSGT David V. McLeod was a crew member onboard an HH-53C helicopter shot down in northwestern Cambodia on June 14, 1973. The aircraft went down over Tonle Sap, a large lake forming the southern border of Siemreab Province. Just north of the lake are the ruins of famed Angkor Wat.
The fate of the rest of the crew is unknown, but as none are missing, it is assumed that they were either rescued or their bodies recovered. Another possibility, although remote, is that the crew consisted of indigenous personnel. In this case, U.S. records would not record their loss. [see update below]
I am writing to comment on your BIO concerning MSgt. David V. McLeod,Jr. USAF. He was the Flight Engineer on a HH-53C Jolly Green Giant helicopter attached to the 40th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron (ARRSq) that went down (crashed) in Tonle Sap, a large lake on the southern border of Siemreab Province in Northwestern Cambodia. THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT SHOT DOWN. As an update to your file on Msgt. McLeod.
The aircraft and crew were returning from strip SAR (Search & Rescue alert) in Thailand to their homebase (Nakhon Phanom, RTAFB, Thailand.
Normal routine for the returning crews was to fly out over the lake in Cambodia and meet a USAF C-130 refuel aircraft and make several (dry) contacts on the refueling hoses then to actually refuel from the C-130 and fly back to NKP, Thailand.
On 14 June 1973 The Jolly Green was in the refueling formation with the C-130 and had just disconnected from the refueling hose when the helicopter rapidly pitched nose up then nose down, doing this several times. The helicopter descended into the lake upside down. The two pararescuemen sitting on the ramp were thrown out of the back of the helicopter when it pitched nose up. Normal procedure for air refueling was, all crewmembers have on backpack parachutes, all windows, doors and hatches closed except for the aft cargo ramp(optional).
The pilot, Gilbert Allan Rovito, Capt, USAF (body recovered)and co-pilot, Francis E. Meador, USAF (body recovered)was also killed in the crash.
An effort was made to recover the helicopter and Msgt.McLeod's body. A sling was attached to the underbody of the helicopter, e.g.. the cargo hook and the landing gear. When the helicopter was lifted it was found that the impact of the helicopter going in inverted had sheared the airframe, at the airframe to inside deck (cargo)area. The helicopter broke apart at this shear and the top of the helicopter was
unrecoverable. Msgt. McLeod's body was never found. The inside of the wreckage and surrounding area was searched extensively. (given the time and situation).
The two Pararescuemen that were thrown out relayed this to me on 16 June 1973. The reason is because I was a flight Engineer in the 40th ARRSq during that period and the crew of that helicopter was my HARD crew. (we had crews assigned as hard crew members such as pilot, co-pilot,Flight Engineer, and two pararescue men). Those five people made up a hard crew and when the crew was assigned to fly, all five would be scheduled to fly together. The reason it wasn't me that was killed is due to my brother being killed in Florida and I was on emergency leave. Msgt. McLeod was my supervisor and was flying in my place until I returned to NKP, Thailand. I returned the day after the accident happened. The crash was relayed to me when I returned.
(Woody Freeman)
posted by Jim Moore at 10:33 AM
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