c/n 175

55-3313

53313 (Assumed)

x

• 55-3313 United States Army. Delivered 07-Dec-1956. Designated as U-1A with serial

It first served with the 3rd Aviation Company, Fort Riley, KS.

July-1957. Moved with the unit to Illesheim, Germany.

Accident: Heilbronn, Germany, 20-Jan-1958. It slid off the icy runway and the gear collapsed as it went over a ditch. Repaired.

Feb-1968. Assigned to the 2nd Aviation Company based at Poitiers, France.

Sep-1962. Joined the 8th Infantry Division at Bad Kreuznach, Germany until Oct-1967.

Oct-1967. Returned to USA for maintenance.

Unknown date. Taken on charge by the 388th Transportation Company, Vung Tau, Vietnam and prepared for service.

Aug-1968. 54th Aviation Company, Vung Tau & Rach Gia, Vietnam, until unit disbanded in Feb-1971.

Feb-1971. Returned to the 388th Transportation Company, Vung Tau, Vietnam, and put into storage.

• 53313 (Assumed serial) Handed over to the Government of Cambodia for the Khmer Air Force.. Sep-1971 until withdrawn from use.

Nov 1971. Reported as a combat loss on 13-Nov-1971 and not flyable in Jul-1973.

• Scrapped •

x

Otter 175 was delivered to the United States Army on 7th December 1956 with serial 55-3313 (tail number 53313). It first served with the 3rd Aviation Company, Fort Riley, Kansas and moved with the unit when it deployed to Germany in July 1957, establishing at Illesheim. With the Company it carried code number 18. The Otter crashed on landing at Heilbronn, Germany on 20th January 1958. The last of a stream of ten Otters to land, it slid off the icy runway and the gear collapsed as it went over a ditch. After repair, 53313 was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Company based at Poitiers, France until September 1962. It then joined the 8th Infantry Division at Bad Kreuznach, Germany until its European deployment came to an end in October 1967.

The Otter was then transported back to the United States and onwards to Vietnam, where it was taken on charge by the 388th Transportation Company and prepared for service. It joined the 54th Aviation Company in August 1968. It is mentioned in the unit's history for September 1968. Otter 81688 on a photographic mission had gone unserviceable at Cam Ranh Bay on 25th September. 53315 flew down with a repair crew. Both Otters remained overnight at Cam Ranh Bay and returned to base the next day. For most of its time with the 54th Aviation Company 53313 was based at Rach Gia. In February 1971 the Otter returned to the 388th Transportation Company at Vung Tau, when the 54th Aviation Company disbanded, and was put into storage. In August 1971 the Otter was handed over to the Government of Cambodia, one of 18 Otters transferred to that country. Their operation was short lived and the fate of 53313 can only be recorded as “withdrawn from use and scrapped”.

Full history courtesy of Karl E. Hayes © from DHC-3 Otter: A History (2005).