UH-1H Crash at FSB Fontaine
Summary
On April 24, 1971 — four days after the contact near FSB Fontaine that killed three soldiers and wounded approximately fifteen — a UH-1H helicopter (tail number 69-15692) crashed at or near FSB Fontaine. The crash killed both crew members, CW2 Martin Fanning (pilot) and CW2 Gabriel Jeffries (co-pilot), as well as passenger Richard Colburn of Battalion Armor. The door gunner, Nathan Stanfield, survived with wounds.
James Garvin, originally manifested on the flight, was bumped before takeoff and survived by chance. Howard McGrew's 1971 calendar records "Downed chopper" on April 24, corroborating the date.
The fire support base was subsequently renamed FSB Fanning in honor of CW2 Martin Fanning. The renaming is visible in McGrew's calendar: entries before May 2 use Fontaine; from May 7 forward the base is referred to as Fanning.
Context and Contested Details
FSB naming: The renaming occurred between April 24 and May 2, 1971, based on McGrew's calendar. All events prior to and including April 24 took place at FSB Fontaine. References to FSB Fanning in accounts of the April 20 contact are retrospective errors, flagged in that event record.
Colburn's presence: Richard Colburn was not organic to D Co. The circumstances that placed him on this flight are not documented in available sources.
Garvin's account: Garvin's survival by being bumped gives his account unusual weight as an eyewitness to the crash site and aftermath. His is the only firsthand D Co. narrative currently known for this event.
Richard Colburn was not originally scheduled to be on this flight. James Garvin was bumped from the passenger manifest and survived by chance. If you know who else was originally scheduled, or the circumstances that placed Colburn aboard, please contact us.
Share what you know →The cause of the crash has not been formally documented in sources available to this archive. If you were present at FSB Fontaine on April 24, 1971, or have access to any accident investigation records, we want to hear from you.
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