Breaking News - Kauai Copter Crash: The Most Dangerous Place for Whilrybirds on Earth
Where: Kauai || Grouped in: Kauai Nature || Tagged:
Three dead tourists plus the pilot. No obvious causes. No obvious signs of malfunction or trouble before takeoff. Just a radio distress call, a precipitous decent, and a crumpled whirlybird on a grassy field near the runway of the Princeville Airport. The helicopter crash on Kauai yesterday was the fifth fatal mishap in four years involving these fragile fiying machines. Kauai must be the most dangeous for helicopter tours on Earth, aside from Baghdad. Alas, its also one of the best places on Earth for a helicopter ride, with stunning waterfall strewn cliffs, idyllic pristine rainforest inaccessible by vehicle or foot, and the most riotous symphony of blue and green hues that graces any spot on God's spinning orb.
Perhaps the ancient deities have cursed Kauai in this way. A copter flown by the same tour company, Heli USA, also went down in 2005 in the water, killing passengers. That crash resulted in an FAA mandate that tour helicopters be equipped with inflatable pontoons that would prevent a rapid descent beneath the wave in case of a Mayday incident. The experience level or competence of the pilot was never in question. Joe Sulak, also known as "Helicopter Joe" was one of the most experienced pilots in the islands, a veteran of hundreds of sorties in Vietnam who served under extreme conditions during famous battles in that war such as "Hamburger Hill". (Joe Sulak also ran a Website selling clothes adorned with nifty helicopter designs). He was flying an A-Star, a well-respected craft popular among hotel tour operators in the islands. Ironically, this crash came only a month after the FAA mandated new airtour safety rules in response to the high number of crashes in the islands.
According to news reports, Sulak radioed for help, saying he was having hydraulic problems. Hydraulic problems can make it impossible to steer helicopters. What a scary way to go. I'll be reporting more news on this as it develops. My heart goes out to the families of the lost. And one statistical thought -- although its still a very high number, five crashes over tens of thousands of flights over five years still means you have a pretty slim chance of crashing in a copter on Kauai, despite the grim news reports.
Image via HelicopterJoe.com (please support the family of Joe Sulak)
Advertisers, reach Hawaii |
Comments
JAMES JOUBERT said:
We had the extreme pleasure of flying with “Helicopter Joe” just this past January 2007. I and the rest of my family share in the loss of a great human being and servant of mankind…Joe Sulak AKA Helicopter Joe. He not only made us all feel very secure in a strange and maybe un-familure evironment..a Helicopter! he shared his personel life experence of serving in Vietnam in the most heated of battles as well as hundreds of Life Flight missions flown in service to his fellow man. Joe was a man who took his job seriously and saftey was a priority. I am a pilot myself and speak from my own experiance. It was obvious from the very beginning of our tour that this man had passion for what he was doing. He took great pride and satisfaction in his life on the Island and he had the perfect job. He was a man who loved his family and cared deeply for people. He loved life. He loved flying. He loved people. I learned all this about Joe in just 45 minuites. Me and my family grieve his loss and the loss of the other families involved in this tragic event. We still have our precious pictures and memories of the day we met “Helicopter Joe!
All Our Love and Prayers,
The Jim Joubert Family
—03/09/07