What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Struck wire and crashed during practice autorotaions in a drainage basin. (-23) on may 1, 1998, at approximately 1402 hours pacific daylight time, a Robinson R22 helicopter, N8365D, was destroyed when it impacted power transmission lines approximately 65 feet above ground level and then impacted the ground in an uncontrolled descent in Irwindale, California. The commercially licensed flight instructor was fatally injured and the student pilot escaped with minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions existed for the local area instructional flight which departed from brackett field, la verne, California, at 1313 local time. The 10-hour student pilot reported that prior to the accident, he and his instructor had performed several autorotations and normal approaches to sites chosen by the instructor in the santa fe flood control basin. The student was flying the helicopter and the instructor was following on the controls. They were performing a normal approach to a landing area when both the student and instructor were startled to see wires in front of them. The student said that the instructor made an exclamation and took control of the helicopter. The instructor placed the heli copter in a steep bank but was unable to prevent impacting the wires. The student remembered seeing "lightning" around the aircraft on impact (arcing from the wires). After impact the aircraft dropped to the ground and landed on its left side. Being seated on the right side the student was able to escape from the aircraft before it caught fire. The student reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft prior to impacting the transmission lines.
As the FAA filed it
STRUCK WIRE AND CRASHED DURING PRACTICE AUTOROTAIONS IN A DRAINAGE BASIN. (-23) ON MAY 1, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 1402 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINSON R22 HELICOPTER, N8365D, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT IMPACTED POWER TRANSMISSION LINES APPROXIMATELY 65 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AND THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT IN IRWINDALE, CALIFORNIA. THE COMMERCIALLY LICENSED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS FATALLY INJURED AND THE STUDENT PILOT ESCAPED WITH MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS EXISTED FOR THE LOCAL AREA INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WHICH DEPARTED FROM BRACKETT FIELD, LA VERNE, CALIFORNIA, AT 1313 LOCAL TIME. THE 10-HOUR STUDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, HE AND HIS INSTRUCTOR HAD PERFORMED SEVERAL AUTOROTATIONS AND NORMAL APPROACHES TO SITES CHOSEN BY THE INSTRUCTOR IN THE SANTA FE FLOOD CONTROL BASIN. THE STUDENT WAS FLYING THE HELICOPTER AND THE INSTRUCTOR WAS FOLLOWING ON THE CONTROLS. THEY WERE PERFORMING A NORMAL APPROACH TO A LANDING AREA WHEN BOTH THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR WERE STARTLED TO SEE WIRES IN FRONT OF THEM. THE STUDENT SAID THAT THE INSTRUCTOR MADE AN EXCLAMATION AND TOOK CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. THE INSTRUCTOR PLACED THE HELI COPTER IN A STEEP BANK BUT WAS UNABLE TO PREVENT IMPACTING THE WIRES. THE STUDENT REMEMBERED SEEING "LIGHTNING" AROUND THE AIRCRAFT ON IMPACT (ARCING FROM THE WIRES). AFTER IMPACT THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED TO THE GROUND AND LANDED ON ITS LEFT SIDE. BEING SEATED ON THE RIGHT SIDE THE STUDENT WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE FROM THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE STUDENT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE TRANSMISSION LINES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.