What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter was installing wires on power poles, struck wires with rotor and crashed. (.4)the helicopter was operating in mountainous terrain assisting in the construction of power lines. The helicopter was positioning the passenger near the conductor lines in preparation for a line-pull. The passenger was sitting behind the pilot in the rear seat. The passenger would physically kick the travelers into the proper position at the top of the 80-foot metal pole in preparation for a line pull to establish proper tension. According to the witnesses, the helicopter was approaching pole number 89 from the upwind side to straighten the traveler. As they aligned the traveler and moved away, the rotor wash cocked the traveler off-line again. The helicopter reapproached the pole at a speed higher than before. The helicopter skid contacted the pole 2 feet below the top and the helicopter dynamically rolled over the top of the pole. The pole entered the pilot's doorway. The pilot released all controls and braced himself against the pole during the maneuver. The helicopter severed three main conductors before colliding with the ground. (.19) on November 29, 1996, at 1330 hours hawaiian standard time, a Bell 206B, N6262N, operated by pacific helicopter tours, inc., of kahului, Hawaii, was substantially damaged near Mcgregor Point, maui, Hawaii, during a power line repair project. The pilot and one passenger received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the operation and no flight plan was filed. According to witnesses, the helicopter contacted an 80-foot-tall power pole with the right skid. The helicopter dynamically rolled over the top of the pole and collided with three main conductors and then the ground.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER WAS INSTALLING WIRES ON POWER POLES, STRUCK WIRES WITH ROTOR AND CRASHED. (.4)THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATING IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN ASSISTING IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF POWER LINES. THE HELICOPTER WAS POSITIONING THE PASSENGER NEAR THE CONDUCTOR LINES IN PREPARATION FOR A LINE-PULL. THE PASSENGER WAS SITTING BEHIND THE PILOT IN THE REAR SEAT. THE PASSENGER WOULD PHYSICALLY KICK THE TRAVELERS INTO THE PROPER POSITION AT THE TOP OF THE 80-FOOT METAL POLE IN PREPARATION FOR A LINE PULL TO ESTABLISH PROPER TENSION. ACCORDING TO THE WITNESSES, THE HELICOPTER WAS APPROACHING POLE NUMBER 89 FROM THE UPWIND SIDE TO STRAIGHTEN THE TRAVELER. AS THEY ALIGNED THE TRAVELER AND MOVED AWAY, THE ROTOR WASH COCKED THE TRAVELER OFF-LINE AGAIN. THE HELICOPTER REAPPROACHED THE POLE AT A SPEED HIGHER THAN BEFORE. THE HELICOPTER SKID CONTACTED THE POLE 2 FEET BELOW THE TOP AND THE HELICOPTER DYNAMICALLY ROLLED OVER THE TOP OF THE POLE. THE POLE ENTERED THE PILOT'S DOORWAY. THE PILOT RELEASED ALL CONTROLS AND BRACED HIMSELF AGAINST THE POLE DURING THE MANEUVER. THE HELICOPTER SEVERED THREE MAIN CONDUCTORS BEFORE COLLIDING WITH THE GROUND. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 29, 1996, AT 1330 HOURS HAWAIIAN STANDARD TIME, A BELL 206B, N6262N, OPERATED BY PACIFIC HELICOPTER TOURS, INC., OF KAHULUI, HAWAII, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED NEAR MCGREGOR POINT, MAUI, HAWAII, DURING A POWER LINE REPAIR PROJECT. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE OPERATION AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED AN 80-FOOT-TALL POWER POLE WITH THE RIGHT SKID. THE HELICOPTER DYNAMICALLY ROLLED OVER THE TOP OF THE POLE AND COLLIDED WITH THREE MAIN CONDUCTORS AND THEN THE GROUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.