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Aircraft Mfr's Number: 70001

Built by:: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
Modified Model*:: YUH-60A
Effectivity:: N/A
Lot Number:: N/A
Mfr. Date:
Aircraft Status:: written-off
Last Updated:: 2025-06-23

* The model displayed above will either be the aircraft's birth or earliest modified model. To see the aircrafts modification history see the below Aircraft Historical Events.

Aircraft Historical Events: Entry 1

Date	Tail Number	Model	Country	Operator
17 October 1974	73-21650	YUH-60A		Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
First flight of the Prototype aircraft was on this date by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in Stratford, Connecticut. Flight was conducted by Sikorsky Pilots Pilot Dick Wright and John Dixson.

Date

Tail Number

Model

Country

Operator

17 October 1974

73-21650

YUH-60A

Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

First flight of the Prototype aircraft was on this date by Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in Stratford, Connecticut. Flight was conducted by Sikorsky Pilots Pilot Dick Wright and John Dixson.

Aircraft Historical Events: Entry 2

Date	Tail Number	Model	Country	Operator
March 1976	73-21650	YUH-60A		U.S. Army
Aircraft was accepted by the Army and Air Transported to Fort Benning, Georgia where it was placed on display and formally entered the Government Competitive Test (GCT) for the UTTAS program. The aircraft was then flown to Fort Rucker, Alabama to begin development testing. This included the training of Army Pilots and Maintainers. In May of 1976, the Aircraft was flown to Fort Campbell, Kentucky to begin Operational Testing. On 09 August 1976, during one of the Operational Testing night missions this aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing due to a strong vibration felt by the pilots. “Because of total darkness with a ground mist, the aircraft’s landing lights made the tops of the tall pine trees protruding through the mist appear to be a cornfield. It looked like a perfect place for an emergency landing.” Additionally, because the crew descended vertically and under full control the only real damage to the aircraft was to the Main and Tail Rotor Blades. After the Main Rotor Blades and Tail Paddles were replaced, the aircraft was flown back to Fort Campbell. The vibration was caused by a bonding separation of the fiberglass skin of the Main Rotor Blade due to a faulty adhesive. References: Leoni, Ray D., "Black Hawk: The Story of a World Class Helicopter", American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., Reston, Virginia, 2007, ISBN 978-1-56347-918-2, pages 171–177.

Date

Tail Number

Model

Country

Operator

March 1976

73-21650

YUH-60A

U.S. Army

Aircraft was accepted by the Army and Air Transported to Fort Benning, Georgia where it was placed on display and formally entered the Government Competitive Test (GCT) for the UTTAS program. The aircraft was then flown to Fort Rucker, Alabama to begin development testing. This included the training of Army Pilots and Maintainers.

In May of 1976, the Aircraft was flown to Fort Campbell, Kentucky to begin Operational Testing.

On 09 August 1976, during one of the Operational Testing night missions this aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing due to a strong vibration felt by the pilots. “Because of total darkness with a ground mist, the aircraft’s landing lights made the tops of the tall pine trees protruding through the mist appear to be a cornfield. It looked like a perfect place for an emergency landing.” Additionally, because the crew descended vertically and under full control the only real damage to the aircraft was to the Main and Tail Rotor Blades. After the Main Rotor Blades and Tail Paddles were replaced, the aircraft was flown back to Fort Campbell. The vibration was caused by a bonding separation of the fiberglass skin of the Main Rotor Blade due to a faulty adhesive.

References: Leoni, Ray D., "Black Hawk: The Story of a World Class Helicopter", American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., Reston, Virginia, 2007, ISBN 978-1-56347-918-2, pages 171–177.

Aircraft Historical Events: Entry 3

Date	Tail Number	Model	Country	Operator
19 May 1978	73-21650	YUH-60A		U.S. Army
On 19 May 1978, The aircraft crashed into the Housatonic River, during testing at the Sikorsky Facility in Stratford, Connecticut. "In May there was an accident at the Sikorsky factory. Three crewmen and one of the three test prototypes were lost. The accident was caused by failure to reconnect the airspeed sensing devices which control the horizontal stabilator on the tail section after routine overnight maintenance. A warning signal has been added to the design to indicate stabilator malfunction, and the instrument panel has been rearranged. The accident delayed aircraft delivery from August to October 1978." Unit Involved: Sikorsky Mishap Location: Stratford, Connecticut Fatalities: 3 References: Department of the Army Historical Summary, Fiscal Year 1978, page 163.

Date

Tail Number

Model

Country

Operator

19 May 1978

73-21650

YUH-60A

U.S. Army

On 19 May 1978, The aircraft crashed into the Housatonic River, during testing at the Sikorsky Facility in Stratford, Connecticut.

"In May there was an accident at the Sikorsky factory. Three crewmen and one of the three test prototypes were lost. The accident was caused by failure to reconnect the airspeed sensing devices which control the horizontal stabilator on the tail section after routine overnight maintenance. A warning signal has been added to the design to indicate stabilator malfunction, and the instrument panel has been rearranged. The accident delayed aircraft delivery from August to October 1978."

Unit Involved: Sikorsky
Mishap Location: Stratford, Connecticut
Fatalities: 3

References: Department of the Army Historical Summary, Fiscal Year 1978, page 163.