Most line pilots were not taught maneuver G back in those days, but some of us knew about it from other flight training. When I began test work I learned more
Maneuver G is the load the aircraft can sustain in flight based on thrust, weight and g focce combinations. if all are balanced in some way the aircraft will maintain airspeed and altitude. If they are not all balanced you must sacrifice airspeed or altitude. if you have neither you will bust your ass.
The main rotor of a UH-1 is capable of 18000 pounds of thrust. at 12000 feet it is 25% of that number. so you can see rotor effeciency goes down as altitude goes up.
now take a 9000 pound aircraft and you can see the most it will sustain is 2 g's at sea level before something has to give.
at 60 deg angle of bank an aircraft pulls 2 gs.
Now lets get to cases.
that bird at pleiku probably had 10000 pounds weight at least. so about 1.5 g's would be the limit. that is about 45 deg.s of bank.

remmeber he flew off by using a running takeoff.
he then saw trees and flared and killed of his airspeed. had he stopped there he might have hovered BUT he chose to turn ( Bank And Pedals)
Now he has no options left. no airspeed. to sacrifice. and lost horsepower going to tail rotor to turn. Lost rotor effeciency due to the bank.
He was a victim of 2 things. Areodynamics and poor flight training. It was not till years later when they started teaching maneuver G. I was teaching it in nam in 69 but it was not official. I don't think flight schools taught it till way into the 1970s.
that guy's ass was busted when he put the two extra folks onboard. he just did not know it yet.
^5 and salute
anybody want a watch LOL
BT