Sikorsky S-64 / CH-54 "Tarhe"
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Adrian Reed SP-5, e-mail, 15.02.2018 22:47

To Bill Stephens, Jim Garthwaite,Roger Hawkins,

My name is Adrian Reed and I was on that crane with Bill Stephens when it went down in AnKhe. I would like to e-mail you but this sight won't let me unless you put your e-mail address in you comments. I have several photos I converted to digital I could send you. Also I noticedRoger assigned a photographer to document the crash site. I wonder if he has any photos.
I noticed another post that thought Bill Stephens had died and indeed I too thought he did too but we connected several years ago reading on-line posts like these.
My e-mail is as follows
ajlkreed@yahoo.com


Roger Hawkins, e-mail, 30.11.2017 02:32

CH54 Crash at AnKhe in 1968. I was commanding a detachment of the 221st Signal Company (Pictorial). I know I assigned a photographer to document the crash. I did not go to the site myself and remember very little about the event. However I believe there was some unauthorized use involved. I think the POD and the 3/4 ton truck in the pod might have contained the makings for a party involving personnel from the 17th Field Hospital. Can anyone confirm or add detail.


Jim Garthwaite, 10.06.2017 20:58

Here is SOME of what I typed without URLs lets see if it will allow this:

About the crash of CH54A 67-18414 at Ankhe RVN on Sept 27th 1968.

Here is Army incident report shows 3 KIA and 30 wounded:


I remember all of the sharp broken wood slats from the cargo pod ... I never thought that there was any chance of survival! I tried to forget about it until I met Gordon Wunn as mentioned below.


I was surprised to learn that 67-18414 was repaired and I found that it is fighting fires with Erickson AIR Crane Service as of a few years ago! Guess the Aircraft airframe damage was not as bad I remember My main focus must have been on the cargo Pod.

The report says that the Air Craft only had 386 hours at the time of the incident, so they rebuilt it.

The cargo pod sure was a mess!


Look in first column and scroll down to 64-016

Latest FAA number listed as of 2002 is N543CH.

I looked at Erickson Crane sites and found more info on 67-18414 aka N543CH ...


Jim Garthwaite, 10.06.2017 20:50

ch54skycrane dot com has tail number list and tells about 67-18414 was sold to Erickson Air Crane Service.

Website will not allow posting URLs


Jim Garthwaite, 10.06.2017 20:45

vhpa.org has info on crash URL cannot be saved on this site


Jim Garthwaite, 10.06.2017 20:36

I tried many times to post info on 67-18414 but website "security" measures will not allow the posting of the two pages I typed.

Only 3 KIAs

I guess you can not post URLs on this website so info is not possible to post.

This chopper was repaired and was fighting fires with Erickson Air Crane Service as of 2002.



first column scroll down to 64-016.


Website error, 10.06.2017 20:22

Why is it that I cannot post to website.

The "security" feature does not work!!

After entering secret number it says "data not saved"


Bob Stevens, e-mail, 10.04.2017 19:49

I too was in the 478AVN from 1 April till 15 March 69. I remember the crash mentioned 68. I sure thought there were more than 3 killed. Mater of fact I thought one of the persons killed was named Stephens. The way I heard of his death was he was pretty much unhurt and ran from the pod. He stopped under the tail rotor when some one yelled "fire". At that moment the tail rotor fell and killed him. I have some pictures of the wreck somewhere. I was in the motorpool and not on the flight line at Red Beach.


Jim Garthwaite, e-mail, 21.08.2015 07:41

To Bill Stevens as you posted on 26.04.2015.

I worked at AnKhe in the Central Highlands from Feb 68 to Jan 69 (was at Long Binh starting Jan 26th during Tet) providing service and tech support on IBM, Univac and Friedan Punch card machines for The First Cav, National Security Agency and 173rd Airborne based at AnKhe ... On or about 27 Sept, 1968 a CH54 Crane, from Da Nang I think, was loaded with a 3/4 ton truck (unknown cargo in 3/4), about 30 personnel, baggage and other cargo. As I remember the AC attempted several times to take off from a hover and experienced "strange oscillations". So he attempted a rolling takeoff to take advantage of "transitional lift" off the runway in a Northerly direction at The Golf Course at AnKhe in the Central Highlands.

They did not make it but a few feet above the ground and hit a bunker at the end of The Gulf Course runway. It was a mess ... I DO NOT remember any fire but I might have this one mixed up with another crash.

In 1992 while we were finishing up our work on building the Colorado Tribute to Veterans Memorial, I met Gordon Wunn (sp?) of the DAV who was a surgical hospital medic (I think) at the Ankhe Hospital that handled the wounded that day. He did not remember any details.

I wanted to know if anyone survived...his only comment (before talking about it became just too much for him) was "There were just too many very bad days like Sept 27th that I do not want to try to remember the details it is just too difficult ... even after all these years".

For forty years I wondered about the crash ... then in about 2004 I found an Aircraft crash report on the incident. They said that there were 3 KIAs and a bunch of wounded as I remember ... Just three!! ... but that is still too many.

Less than a week later near Camp Evans (or Phu Bai) an Air Force C-7 Caribou on takeoff flew into the rear tail rotor of a CH-47 Chinook. The rear rotor blade sliced into the cockpit window, killing both pilots, and both Aircraft went down from about 1100 feet.

Nobody made it out of that one.


P.Conrad, e-mail, 14.06.2015 13:34

One notable comment I forgot to mention in my last posting...I think I prefer the rectangular ventilation intake (primarily used on military models) instead if the "canister-type' twin barrel system...I hope that I have not made any one upset over at the 'Pratt & Whitney' manufacturing sector...


Phil Conrad, e-mail, 07.06.2015 10:04

I am so fascinated and intrigued by the "Ariel Crane" that if I ever decide to go into a higher level (npi) of 'maintenance' work that I may have to target every known scientific and mechanical aspect of the "SkyCrane Care Unit"...


Jim Maddox, e-mail, 01.06.2015 17:08

I was in 478th from Sept 66 to Sept 67 in An Khe as flight operations specialist.Wanted to contact Johnny Berry but email link doesn't work on this page.


Sp 5 Johnnie Berry, e-mail, 08.05.2015 23:21

I was a electrician with the 382nd maintenance detachment attached to 478th avn.co.I went over to Vietnam from Fort Benning in 1965. The tail numbers were 414202,414203,414204,414205 and 414206.We lost 414204 in January 1966 and I went to van Tau to get 414206 off of a ship. I am trying to put a data base together of the personnel of the 478th avn. co. and the 382nd that left fort Benning in July 1966. I believe this was the first crane company formed. I have several names. Please e_ mail if you can help Thanks.


bill stephens, e-mail, 26.04.2015 04:35

Went down on a ch54 on sept 68 outside DA Nang on golf coarse runway.WE were over weight that day.Did a running take off "Bad Idea"


LOYD DINNEEN, e-mail, 14.04.2014 07:39

I worked on the CH54A crane from 68 to 70 in Vietnam.We were with the 382nd Maintance Detachment attached to the 478th Aviation Company at Freedom Hill Da Nang. I was a sheetmetal mechanic an patched alot of bullet holes in those cranes, they were tough and hard to bring down.


Dan Klossner, e-mail, 17.06.2012 01:57

ATTN : Geoffrey Foote,if you still have the Manuals & Drawings of the Aircranes i would be extremely interested. Maybe you know someone else who also has drawings or manuals of the Skycrane ? I am planning on building a Flyable Scale Aircrane. This has been my dream for over 20 years,
Regards Dan


James P. Hootman, e-mail, 03.02.2012 21:39

I was with the 343rd aviation detachment in Fairbanks Alaska in 1978/1979 Fort Wainwright.We had four CH54's one with a plaque on the cabin door attesting to the altitude record although I can't remember the exact spec's I do remember the last three tail numbers were 488. when I got there she was a hanger queen and had been cannibalized. If any of my old buddy's ever read this this please drop me a line to catch up on old times! p.s she flew again before I shipped out to Monterey California if my memory is right.


Jim Church, e-mail, 21.04.2011 22:59

My dad flew cranes in Vietnam Jun 68 - Jun 69. He was at Plieku, Camrahn bay, and Phuhep (sorry about the spelling). He flew the world altitude records in Nov of 71. He is still alive and kicking!


mike meyer, e-mail, 27.09.2010 05:15

In 1971 I was a Huey doorgunner for the 56th Recovery ADS at Long Thanh North. In the Spring we recoverd a crashed CH 54 at a Firebase near Bear Cat. I understand it had a blade strike on making a lift.

I believe the last three on the tail number was 444.

Anyone out there remember this?

Mike Meyer
RVN 70-71


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stephen miller, e-mail, 02.05.2009 03:23

i dont know if this is the right place to ask but where could i get or find blue prints of the S - 64. As in measurements and pictures.
This would be a big help for a 3D model im trying to make.


Leandro Castro, e-mail, 21.10.2008 18:28

Scratchbuild�- Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe / S-64 Skycrane
http://forum.modelismo-na.net/viewtopic.php?t=8358&highlight=scratchbuild


Leandro Castro, e-mail, 15.10.2008 01:45

“Scratchbuild”- Sikorsky CH-54 Tarhe / S-64 Skycrane


Bartek Piekos, e-mail, 29.08.2008 02:55

I'm modeller from Poland. I'm just building a miniature of CH-54 A Skycrane from plastic kit by Revell (1/72 scale). I’ve decided to up-grade model by adding lot of self-made details making the model as realistic as possible. But there is one problem: except 50-60 photos from different web-sites I've unsufficient documentation on many parts of this beautifull machine like cockpit/interior, top of fuselage with engines and this huge amount of electric and air instalation on the top. I'm also not sure what paint to chose to imitate this olive-green original colour that many CH-54 were painted. Is this FS34079?
If anybody could help me with some technical documentation (I've no dimensions given now, only physical proportion deducted from photos), scans of books, albums or photos (of interior i.e.) it would be really great!
Thank you!


Eric Beavers, e-mail, 06.07.2008 17:42

Looking for a source for tech data for the A and B model aircraft. ARMY TM's probably. AMARC perhaps?


Geoffrey Foote, e-mail, 30.03.2008 01:35

If Jim Phoreman is still looking for information on the cable cutting system on the early "Flying Cranes" I have all of my old Sikorsky School Training Manuals and cutaway drawings from 1965. I was in the original Army Group trained to maintain the first Cranes for the 11th Air Assault Division and then the 1st Cavalry Division (Air Mobile).


Jim Phoreman, e-mail, 01.11.2007 20:08

The inforomation presented here is fascinating, and makes me proud to be a former officer of the US Army. Does anybody have any information or stories regarding the cable 'cut-away' system used on any of the Sky Crane or Air Crane models? I know that cable cutters were used that we cabaple of cutting 7/8" steel cable, presumably as an emergency measure to release the helicopter from an entangled or problematic payload. Does anybody know if these cutters were also used to drop the 'daisy-cutter' that is referred to in this segment? It turns out that I have an application for the cable-cutters that were used on the CH-54B, but I cannot seem to find enough test data/ pedigree info to convince the powers that be. Can anyone help here? Thank you!


alvin kilpatrick, e-mail, 23.04.2007 06:22

I just am tired of hearing about how great the ch53 sea stallion is the ch54 tarhe was designed with one purpose to lift heavy objects it is hard for me to believe that the 53 can lift more weight could you please list max pay load weights on both aircraft please.




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