Shane Sutton: US soldier seen hanging by fingertips after falling from Chinook helicopter in viral video says he only got 'some bruises'
FORT BLISS, TEXAS: A viral 2021 video, which has largely circulated online over the following years, showed US soldier Shane Sutton dramatically hanging on by his fingertips after falling from a giant Chinook helicopter. However, the soldier told the Daily Mail that he was “strapped in” during the incident and walked away with “just some bruises.” In the footage, Sutton, 26, was seen casually sitting on the edge of the ramp and hanging out his legs from the back of the aircraft hanger while traveling in a $39 million Chinook helicopter over a desert floor.
Midway through the journey, the 4,700 horsepower aircraft faced turbulence after being hit by a “wind pocket coming off the mountains” and sent Sutton flying out of the aircraft. The soldier was seen hitting his head on the roof of the hanger and falling from the back of the ramp towards the desert floor before holding on to the aircraft with his fingertips. Sutton’s fellow soldiers were also seen looking at him in shock.
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‘Everybody makes fun of me for it’
Sutton’s helicopter incident which went viral on social media following a widely circulated video occurred in a training area in Fort Bliss, Texas, the soldier told the Daily Mail. While Sutton was fortunately “strapped in” during the fall and did not suffer any major injuries, the bruising left him “super sore for a few days,” the soldier told the publication.
Although the viral footage was viewed by “some pretty high-up people” in the military, the soldier did not face any serious trouble.
“They let my leadership handle the situation,” he said, before adding that the military hierarchy “had us change our policies.” While soldiers were allowed to sit on the ramps “freely” before, in the wake of Sutton’s incident they were only able to do so “if the mission dictates, such as too much cargo inside (the Chinook),” the outlet noted. “Everybody makes fun of me for it,” Sutton shared, recalling the incident. “But it's great, all of my friends always send me the video,” he added. The soldier said that he even earned several nicknames after the fiasco, such as “Slingload Sutton” and “Sky Surfer.”
'I still sit on the ramp a lot’
Despite the viral incident, Sutton still sits on the ramp while dangling his legs off the aircraft. “I still sit on the ramp a lot,” he told the publication. The soldier even posts several images of himself hanging out of the back of the aircraft. Sutton, who served on the 501st Combat Aviation Brigade, has reportedly spent over 700 hours flying in Chinook helicopters, including in Alaska, Afghanistan, and Texas. He also mentioned “falling out of a helicopter and going viral” made 2021 a year to remember.
‘That’s why we have the strap’
Nearly two years after Sutton’s video first surfaced online, social media users are still commenting about the incident on Instagram. “Brother gonna need some new pants,” one user joked. “That’s why we have the strap,” another commented. “If he was secured properly he would not have departed the ramp. It’s supposed to prevent falling out and not support you outside. Report to Stands and initial your records designating your RL3 status,” one user added.
Another explained, “This is exactly why I always trained my crew members to connect to the front of their vest and not the back. If they ever fell out, a front connection would ensure their body would face the aircraft, and they’d be able to climb back in. Connecting to the back of the vest prevents this, instead facing you away from the aircraft, ensuring you dangle outside the aircraft like an idiot, possibly slamming against it as the wind flaps you like a rag doll, until we land.”
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
