boeing vertol ch-46a sea knight (151911)

BOEING CH-46A SEA KNIGHT (REGISTRATION: 151911)
On July 3, 1968, a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter CH-46A (tail number 151911) from Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 164 (HMM-164) was shot down with the loss of four crewmen and nine passengers. The aircraft was attempting an insertion in an area known as Elephant Valley. The valley is steep and runs east to west with a stream in the middle of it. The bottom of valley is narrow and the only approach is east or west. Aircraft commander CAPT James L. Littler III went in east to west and landed near the stream. Hueys (UH-1 helicopter gunships) covered both sides of the CH-46 during the insertion. CAPT Littler was only in the zone for seconds when he yelled he was taking fire. The gunships sprayed the side of the ridgeline where he called the fire from. CAPT Littler pulled out of the landing zone and was heading west when he made an inaudible radio transmission to one of the gunship commanders. At the same time he made a hard 180 degree turn to go back into the zone. He was belly up to the ridgeline about 100-200 feet when he took fire, lost control and crashed almost where he initially landed. The aircraft exploded upon impact. One of the gunship pilots later stated that he did not see the entire recon team exit the aircraft upon initial landing, but thinks that only one or two had gotten off. When the crew chief informed CAPT Littler of this during the initial departure, it is believed he decided to go back in to get them. He crashed right on anyone who was in the zone. The lost crew members included CAPT Littler, pilot 1LT Raymond C. Daley, and crewmen CPL Randell B. Little and SSGT John C. Bilenski. The nine passengers were CAPT John D. Dalhouse, SGT Joseph J. Jones, LCPL William C. Moon, LCPL Paul Scheckler, LCPL Fay C. Simmons III, CPL William D. Johnson Jr., CPL Gary D. Tisdall, CPL Sherman D. Vance, and PFC Alton House.