174th Assault
Helicopter Company
DOLPHINS & SHARKS


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Shark 157 down at Quang Ngai

This is Shark 157 (64-14157) down with battle damage at Quang Ngai. They had been on a mission west of Qhang Ngai and took several .51 Cal. hits. Losing hydraulic fluid, they made a quick landing to a dirt area at the Quang Ngai airfield literally seconds before the last of the hydraulic fluid leaked out and the controls froze. UH-1C and UH-1M gunships had dual hydraulic accumulators as a safety backup because when all hydraulic pressure was lost the flight controls of the "540" rotor system would freeze and the helicopter could not be controlled. In this photo the earlier 7-shot rocket pods 157 had have been replaced with two 19-shot pods. Along with the 40mm "Frog," this armament arrangement was often called a "mini-hog." Note the left side partical separator (air intake) is open behind the rotor mast where the crew had been checking critical components for battle damage. (Photo by J.C. Pennington, 1969)