312

c/n 312

58-1698 at Pleiku.

Photo: Unknown photographer © www image

c/n 312

58-1698

• 58-1698 US Army. Delivered 21-Jan-1959. Designated U-1A.

Initially assigned to the 17th Aviation Company, Fort Ord, California

Jan-1962. Transferred to 18^th Aviation Company and deployed to Vietnam.

Aug-1963. Passed to the 339^th Transportation Company, Vietnam following a landing accident. Details unknown.

Oct-1963. US Army Flight Detachment, Vietnam.

Nov-1963. 339th Transportation Company, Vietnam.

Jan-1994. 18^th Aviation Company, Vietnam.

Feb-1966. 54^th Aviation Company, Vietnam.

Jun-1966 Returned to the USA and to the Army Aeronautical Depot Maintenance Center (ARADMAC) , Corpus Christi, TX.

Sep-1966. Returned to18th Aviation Company, Vietnam.

Oct-1968. 79th Transportation Company to prepare for a return to the USA.

Nov-1968. Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, CA., in November 1968, where it remained in store.

Jun-1970. Army Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, NJ. Aircraft based at Lakehurst Naval Air Station, NJ.

Accident: Location unknown. Oct-1975. Details of accident unknown.

• 58-1698 Deleted from Army inventory, Nov-1975.

• Presumed destroyed •

Otter 312 was delivered to the United States Army on 21st January 1959 with serial 58-1698 (tail number 81698). It was assigned to the 17th Aviation Company, Fort Ord, California. In January 1962 the Otter was transferred to the 18th Aviation Company for deployment to Vietnam. It carried code 'N' on the engine cowling and was named 'Patricia'. It was damaged in a landing accident and went to the 339th Transportation Company in August 1963 for repair, and then to the US Army Flight Detachment, Vietnam in October 1963, back to the 339th Transportation Company in November 1963, finally returning to the 18th Aviation Company in January 1964, with whom it continued to serve in Vietnam until January 1966.

In February 1966, 81698 was assigned to the 54th Aviation Company. In June 1966 it was returned to the United States for depot level overhaul at the ARADMAC Depot, Corpus Christi, Texas, returning to the 18th Aviation Company in Vietnam in September 1966. It served with that unit until October 1968 when it was taken on charge by the 79th Transportation Company and prepared for return home. It arrived back at the Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, California in November 1968, where it remained in store until June 1970, when it was issued to the Army Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.

Although the Command itself was based at Fort Monmouth, its aircraft were based at nearby Lakehurst Naval Air Station. An incident involving the Otter was recorded on 6th June 1972, when smoke filled the cockpit as the aircraft lifted off. A bonding strap had made contact with and shorted a boost pump switch. The Otter was then in use as a test aircraft, and continued in use as such, flying from Lakehurst NAS., until an accident in October 1975, details unfortunately unknown. It was deleted from the Army inventory the following month.