…Be afraid of when the aircraft suddenly STOPS flying.

Yesterday, my friend John Strayer and I went aloft to try our hand shooting feral hogs from a helicopter with .44 Magnum revolvers. Our mutual friend Norm Ambrozy, who had arranged the hunt, was on the ground awaiting his turn in the little Hiller, a UH12B I believe.  This increasingly popular – and by all accounts, exhilarating – method of pest eradication has come about from overpopulations of the wild hogs absolutely destroying farmland in several parts of the country.  We thought it would be even more challenging with six-shooters.  It’s normally done with AR15 sporting rifles and, yes, those evil “large capacity magazines” which so upset the White House.

A few minutes into the flight, as we were zoning in on an oinker that had run under the canopy of some tall pines, the engine lost power.  We won’t know exactly what happened until the FAA completes its investigation, but when the main rotor hit the first treetop, the die was cast. Autorotation doesn’t work without rotors, and you all know the old joke about a helicopter’s glide path.

We ended up nose down and kinda upside down.  And grateful to be alive.  I’d like to also personally publish my gratitude to those who expressed concern when they heard about it on the Internet, and to the pilot, Graham Harward, who “brought us back alive.” Cuts, bruises, pulled muscles and stiffness, but since none of the stiffness involves rigor mortis, ain’t none of us complaining.

The flight provider describes their service as “helicopter adventures,” and that was certainly truth in advertising. I had told my sweetie, the Evil Princess, that I was going on a 4-H program: Handgun Helicopter Hog Hunt.  When we were sopping up blood en route to the hospital, she texted me from home, “Change the title to Handgun Helicopter Hog Hunt Hurtles to Harrowing Halt.” That pretty well described it…

 

 The helicopter warms up and pilot performs pre-flight checklist.

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One of the ground crew snapped this shot just before liftoff, showing dimensions of cabin. From left: Mas, pilot Graham Harward, and John Strayer.

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Heading out for hogs, at about a thousand feet, from inside the Hiller.

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The last photo from inside the cabin before power was lost, showing approximate elevation when engine failed. John has his eye out for the hog he just spotted, and camera does not show the S&W .44 Magnum in his right hand. He never lost it throughout the crash, holstering only after he extricated himself from the downed bird. His index finger stayed outside the trigger guard, and his muzzle in a safe direction, the entire time.

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Final resting place. That’s broken tail boom and what’s left of tail rotor at upper left, landing skids on upper right.

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Crushed nose and cabin on port side, where John crawled out after crash.

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Mas and pilot exited from here, on starboard side of crushed cockpit, now pretty much upside down in palmetto.

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Minutes after the crash. John Strayer, left, and pilot Graham Harward are bloody but unbroken.

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A few hours later at the crash site.  John, Graham, and Mas with pieces of main rotor.

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Folks tell you that when you have a lucky day, you should buy a lottery ticket.  This time, it didn’t work. No complaints, though.  As John Strayer said, “We’ve used up enough luck for one day.” Note the tabs on the computer…

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1 COMMENT

  1. I thought that landscape looked a lot like my home state of Florida. Freaking hogs can be seen on the side of the road some mornings trying to hitch a ride to the next county. Thank God you landed semi safe. Could have ended up shooting gators.

  3. What is it they say about any landing that you can walk away from??

    Anyhow, damned glad there were no serious injuries, or worse, fatalities. I’d sure miss reading your articles in the magazines that I buy.

  4. Wow. You are a lucky man Mass.
    I’ve flown in Bird’s. I stopped doing so this year. They crash too often.

    I’m glad you are survived with little or no injuries. You have a purpose. You know that purpose. We need you to fulfill that purpose.

    Best.

    KA
    MAG40 Graduate.

  6. Thank God you all survived! God’s not finished with you yet. I love your writings and value your wisdom.

  7. Mas,
    Very glad to hear that you and the others are all right. My uncle flew choppers with the army, and he has told me that an engine failure at that altitude can be a quick recipe for death, even with a fine pilot. I have always enjoyed reading your stuff, and I am grateful for all of the life-saving advice I have learned from you. I am glad that you’ll be around a while longer to teach me more.

    P. S. – I’m just curious, in this case, would you be justified in shooting the helicopter? (I had to ask.)

  8. A Rolling Rock walk away. “Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing — some are better than others.” Glad the 4H group is safe and generally in good condition.

  9. Wow,you all are so very lucky to have gotten through such an event relatively unscathed. Glad everyone is ok.

  10. Mas, you are truly one of my idols, and I hope that when I begin working as a trainer that I can be 1/10th of the instructor you are. Glad you and Jon are safe.

  11. Ahh, brother Mas, I thought I told you not to be aviating around in choppers 😀

    Damn glad to hear that you and your compatriots are okay. Way back when I was training for my PP license my instructor told me any landing you can walk away from is a good one. 😀 so glad you’re okay

    tony

  12. Mas,

    My Momma would be the first one to tell you to act your age!

    Now we both know there is no fun in that. I’m just glad you still have your Cheshire grin as I fear you may have used of one of those nine lives yesterday.

    Vince

  13. Glad to hear that everyone is ok, and it goes to show any landing you can walk away from is a good one.

    p.s. did you find the hog?

  14. Mas, looks like your face hit the instrument panel. Hope the panel is okay!

    The only airplane crash I was a part of ended with me ejecting from an A-10. Good for me, bad for the machine. Glad we’re both survivors!

    All the best,
    Jim

  15. Whoa!

    Glad your OK. What doesn’t kills us makes us stronger and all that….

    BTW, are those bullet holes in the canopy by your feet, or just stickers being funny?

  16. Holy crap Mas! Thank God you and the boys made it out okay. From now on stick to something safer…like mountain climbing.

  18. Damn, I’m glad you survived this. General aviation can be very unforgiving. And you made it out unscathed.

    In my decade+ of skydiving, I’ve seen many very close calls in aviation and incidences where the result was not fortunate . Even when the end result is walking away, one sits down and sheds tears afterwards in your realizations.

  24. Based on observations while jumping out of them in Vietnam, it’s my considered opinion that helecopters really cannot fly. The only reason they get into the air at all is that the pilots who fly them are crazy enough to believe they can.

  26. Thank you Graham Harward for getting the guys back in one piece! After all these years I’d miss Mas’ columns…

  27. Glad you got to ride in a “Pork Chopper”. Also glad you are not dead. Give it another try soon. These things hardly ever repeat and if they do, it always makes for a good story. I only experienced a few engine failures (4 or 5) in my 4,000+ hours piloting helicopters and (almost) never scratched the aircraft. But then, I tried not to autorotate into trees.

  29. Yeesh… well, glad you all walked away from that one. We definitely need your sensible voice for gun owners more than ever right now.

    Plus, I was kinda hoping for an LFI/MAG refresher with Semone in Harrisburg this upcoming August. Try not to go anywhere! 😉

  31. I guess every thing I want to say has been said many times over. Glad it wasn’t worse. had a lot of karma working for you guys.

  32. Mass,
    The FAA investigation, will probably determine that the cause of the crash, was due to being shot-down, by a liberal, left wing, non-violent,
    anti assult weapons protester !!

    —Seriously, the wife and I are greatfull that, you, John and Graham,
    were able to walk away w/o serious injury.

    Jim & Craig Willis

  34. glad everyone is okay, I have enjoyed reading MAS for years. ” Any day above ground is a good day.” What a story to tell!!!

  35. Wow! The headline that you’d been in a crash had me horrified – it’s incredibly relieving to hear that all three of you got out OK. And in style, no less! The whole “two is one, one is none” mantra is a bit more dramatic when tested with aircraft, I think it’s safe to say…

  37. Mas, Wow… I’m thankful you were all OK. As a graduate of your MAG-40 class in Iowa a couple years back I have all the respect and appreciation in the world for the education you provide folks. Hope you have many more years of teaching and supporting gun rights. Hopefully I’ll catch another class from you in the future. Take care Sir!

  38. Glad everyone is OK!

    That said, is it morally ethical to hunt from a moving vehicle, especially an aircraft? I know there are many hogs out there which need harvesting and I have no problem with humanely killing them. However blasting them from a helicopter and very likely wounding the animals with no way of tracking and finishing them off seems careless. Anything I hunt ends up dead very quickly and does not suffer. Personally, I would never use an AR-15 in a varmint chambering like .223 for hunting big game or even large pest animals unless I can get a clean head or neck shot at fairly close range. The 5.56mm/.223 Rem. was based on a varmint cartridge, designed to wound enemy combatants instead of stopping them. Game animals and even varmints deserve a quick, humane demise. Now, slimy liberals and Communists on the other hand…

  39. “Sigh”… I’ve told you about hard landings in Vietnam and seems you’ve joined the club… Come on out here to Colorado and we’ll go flying in a Kiowa in the Royal Gorge, do some nap of the earth stuff followed by chandelles and then fall off’s into the gorge. Shooting wikd hogs from the air will pale in comparison. Bring Gail, “She who must be obeyed” and we can tempt death together… as in the group that flies together, dies together. OK, enough gallows humor… seriously glad you three made it out better than might be expected under the circumstances. Remember,John Paul Vann went into the trees and died in June 1972. Count your blessings and subtract one of those nine lives… Be safe Mas.

  42. I totally agree with Tom606. All of you shooters with AR-15s should consider upgrading to AR-10s and 7.62 x 51mm NATO. I know that’s an old, eternal argument, but size really does matter at close range. After all, they were going to shoot hogs with .44 Magnum, not 9mm Parabellum. Oh well, just keep shooting till the threat goes away.

  43. God was definitely with you yesterday Mas. So glad that you, your friend John and the Graham are all blessed to be alive and well. I saw it on FB this morning and showed my wife, we were talking how lucky all of you were to come out of that one.

    I worked an aircraft accident here in Central Florida where the small plane hit pine trees from a stalled engine in an area just like your photo’s the occupants were all deceased when they hit the ground another crashed by my house same ending. I also lost a Lieutenant in a to a similar crash in the late 70’s when his engine stalled. Considering those odds you guys were very lucky.

  45. Mass, we need you man, you are here for a reason and you know that reason stay out of those birds and complete your mission, thank God you are safe.

  48. Mass, as my old dad and drill sergeants used to tell me, “Let that be a lesson to you.”
    War story from an old Vietnam veteran; the closest I came to being hurt was in helicopter, not once but several times. You are almost as old as I, so wise up, old fart! 🙂

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