HAI (now turned vertical for pathetic drone inclusion) writes article about hero Paradise helicopter pilot who's Bell 407 tail boom fell off in flight. What they didn't tell you was this exact machine spent 20 years doing over gross weight sling loads all over Hawaii, the bolts under repeated stress finally let go. 

Also a Bell 430 crash caused by a failed tail rotor repair in house at paradise helicopters.

doesn't change the fact the pilot performed a miraculous landing. how many pilots have survived a tailboom separation in flight? probably zero up until this guy. 

would sullivan been a hero if those geese hadn't set him up and flown into his engines? NO. he just happened to be in the right place at the right time. 

lol don't cry

So you're saying when the tail boom comes off you're in control? You're a damn idiot. They we're simply lucky that day, and that pilot was along for the ride. 

Total luck here. Tailboom separates from fuselage in flight not only takes away yaw control but totally changes the C.G. Pilot was just along for the ride. 

Please tell us how you can perform a miraculous landing with half of the aircraft flying off? It's like a wing flying off an airplane and somehow they survive, but the pilot "performed a miraculous landing". 

You're a total dumbazz 

maybe ask the pilot that did the miraculous landing. no it's not anything like a wing falling off bro since they're all still alive

the tailboom fell off? me neither but some dorks on here seem to know all about it lol

Been flying helicopters for 25 years, so I'm still waiting for you or anyone to convince me you have control after the tail boom sepetates from the aircraft. His only saving grace was since he was low and slow (like he shouldn't have been) they ironically survived. If he hadn't been giving them a close in typical Hawaii tour they would all be dead. So yeah genius tell us how you have pitch and yaw control over a helicopter without a tail boom.

at 120 kts. you know, one of them "close in" tours lol

https://rotormedia.com/when-my-tail-boom-left-the-aircraft/

I remember a story I read a  long time ago about an AH-1 that got it's tail boom shot off by a missle late in the Vietnam War and they(or maybe only one of them) survived. IIRC, he said they were spinning but he just pulled all the collective right before they went into the jungle, which absorbed a lot of the impact.

Landing is a strong choice of words. No disrespect to pilot, good on him for making it through that situation. 

Tell us, Clark Kent, all the details you know so well about.  Feel free to publish those facts for us the people of Smallville in the Daily Planet and here at JH.  Inquiring minds want to know.   

pilot didn't give up and saved 6 lives. no fatalities that time or any other time bro

The company has had other accidents, with fatal outcomes. Brah

a hero was the op. that just might give you a clue he's a liar

The aircraft that crashed was 402SH.  The other poorly maintained bird is 407WH

Not that I should be surprised but the drivel here has sunk to a new low.  I attended the presentation at Expo this year about the accident and to say Tim was humble and presented the event well would be an understatement.  He makes no claims about being a hero and in fact just states he can't really remember what happened.  Was it a miracle, absolutetly, but should we ignore it then.  As the NTSB also presented during the event no we should not.  There have been multiple (3) instances of broken bolts on other 407 airframes across the world.

I would suggest instead of being a jackass maybe pay attention to the whole story.  I know my takeaway was that if I was a 407 pilot (I'm not) that I would be insisting on repetative inspection of the suspect bolt.  

I've said for years and years we don't ever find "new" ways to die in helicopters.  The stupidity of most of the posters on this thread explains all I need to know about why that is.  Instead of being curious about the machines we fly and learning through a career most pilots would rather spend their time protecting and growing their precious ego.

Idiots