U.S. Army CH-54 "Sky Hook" lifts UH-34D for HMM-363 in Ky Ha 66 Budster snapping Sky Hook in action retreiving one of our own. Update: My aircraft, YZ-74, went down southwest of Chu Lai in October of 66. We were doing SAR work while assigned to Chu Lai. The call came in that an A-4 was hit and the pilot ejected. When we arrived in the area, We could see the last of a smoke signal. The pilot, Capt J. J. Foley, approached from the high side and went down the valley so I, the crew chief, could see the tree line. We never caught sight of the pilot. We made two runs at the location but, no good. As we were climbing out, the engine just quit, as if the magneto was turned off. We landed in a rice paddy after a 2,500 ft auto rotation. We got on our sister bird and got out of the area real fast. About two weeks later, we came back for the bird. It had been worked over by the VC. Me and my gunner, I believe it was Mike Tripp, removed the main rotor blades and got the lift sling ready for the H-54 that lifted YZ-74 back to Ky Ha. I believe that the photo is of that touch down at Ky Ha.  I was a Sgt at the time. I believe that I am the left most man in the picture. We were brought back by one of the CH-46's, and dropped off about five minutes prior to the 34 arriving . To continue, after it was dropped off, we removed the engine and other usable gear, A CH-46 picked it up, and was on the way to Da Nang. The 46 got as far as the lams outfit on the tip of Ky Ha when the 34 started to make like a pendulum and it had to be pickled over the ocean. All our hard work shot in the foot. Charlie "Dan" Danan GySgt USMC Ret.      Dick Allen