wtpryce

I don't know if I'm just late to the party with this or if they've done a really good job of keeping it off of the radar, but it looks like the big Tuna Helicopter company (they call themselves a tour operation) based in Guam - Hansen Helicopters - had 15 helicopters seized or grounded as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. Anyone here know more about this - I can only find a dusting of info on the web about it.

Feds seize helicopters as part of criminal probe

Feds file Hansen Helicopters response under seal

rotorfish

Some information here... One of the helicopters Hansens claim has been seized and the airworthiness cancelled has been still out flying off the boats (with others) and crashed on the 30th May 2017 off the back of a taiwan boat near Pohnpei. The helicopter was landed in Pohnpei and I saw it covered in plastic on the wharf being rushed into a container as I arrived in port. The rego marks were tried to be covered up, but could be seen with some poking around. It had been out flying for more than a year with no valid paperwork. No wonder the feds are after them!
Look up N504WW on the FAA website.

MrNosy2

Hi Rotorfish. The accident to N504WW on May 30,2017 does not seems to have been advised to the FAA or the NTSB (no entry on the FAA Preliminary Accident and Incident Reports board at the time unless I missed it and no entry on the NTSB site). Maybe the operator/pilot et al have forgotten to tell them. Maybe you should give the NTSB a heads up so they can investigate?

rotorfish

The helicopter was off loaded in Pohnpei and hidden in a storeage yard next to the airport under wraps. My boat was only alongside the wharf for a short time, however according to the crew on the boat Hansens instructed them to push the wreck over the side but the fish master refused and took the wreck to Pohnpei. Hansens had no choice and it was shipped to Majuro (according to my mechanic anyway) It was loaded into a container and shipped to Majuro (opposite direction from Guam). The whole deal is a bit fishy. The Embassy had someone down the port looking for the helicopter and he boarded the fishing boat before it sailed.
Everyone seems to be playing it close. An FOI might open the box if anyone was that interested.

rotorfish

Heres the full story from the court! got to be something in the pot.

http://pacificnewscenter.com/wp-cont...helicopter.pdf

rotorfish

The full picture becomes clearer day by day. For some reason there isnt a great deal in the media. Certainly nothing in the aviation press in NZ. Maybe because the activity is in Guam. However a Google up of Hansen-Helicopters.com gives a treasure trove of alarming, if not frightening information on the activities of the company for the past 20 years. The FAA SEIT, the FBI, the DOJ, the Office of Inspector General of Transportation, the IRS have all combined at one time of the other in the investigation and have all given evidence in the ongoing prosecution. More than 20 Hansen current and past pilots and employees have lined up to give evidence.
The picture is one of total disregard for the life or safety of pilots and passengers over making as much dollars as they can rake in. In thirty years of flying, I have seen some operations pushed to the limit. Live deer capture would be one. However the depth of Hansens (and their alter ego companies such as Pacific Spotters et al ) in reconstructing junk yard wrecks with undocumented parts deservedly gets the prosecutors description of Frankenstein helicopters.