What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Struck power lines over river while flying low and slow. Impacted on sandbar. (From .4) witnesses reported observing the helicopter flying 'slow,' at an altitude below 100 feet AGL, from east to west along the Arkansas river. The helicopter 'struck power lines' that spanned the river, descended vertically, and impacted a sandbar. The witnesses also reported that the engine 'sounded okay and it continued to run' until ground contact. The passenger reported that 'when they saw the powerline tower supporting the cables that cross the river at the bridge on memorial boulevard, they talked and decided they would turn around and go back to haskell.' The passenger stated he didn't see the other power line, which cross the river prior to the bridge, or remember striking them. The unmarked power line was an estimated 60 to 75 feet AGL. The three lower wires of the power line were observed to be frayed. Linear scratching and dull gray metal transfers were found on sections of one wooden main rotor blade's leading edge and underside. The forward portion of the center vertical console also exhibited linear scratching. Continuity was established to all flight controls. (-23) the aircraft was following the Arkansas river from southeast to northwest when it struck three power lines approximately forty feet above the ground. The aircraft landed hard on a sand bar and rolled over on its side, pinning the pilot under part of the wreckage.
As the FAA filed it
STRUCK POWER LINES OVER RIVER WHILE FLYING LOW AND SLOW. IMPACTED ON SANDBAR. (FROM .4) WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE HELICOPTER FLYING 'SLOW,' AT AN ALTITUDE BELOW 100 FEET AGL, FROM EAST TO WEST ALONG THE ARKANSAS RIVER. THE HELICOPTER 'STRUCK POWER LINES' THAT SPANNED THE RIVER, DESCENDED VERTICALLY, AND IMPACTED A SANDBAR. THE WITNESSES ALSO REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE 'SOUNDED OKAY AND IT CONTINUED TO RUN' UNTIL GROUND CONTACT. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT 'WHEN THEY SAW THE POWERLINE TOWER SUPPORTING THE CABLES THAT CROSS THE RIVER AT THE BRIDGE ON MEMORIAL BOULEVARD, THEY TALKED AND DECIDED THEY WOULD TURN AROUND AND GO BACK TO HASKELL.' THE PASSENGER STATED HE DIDN'T SEE THE OTHER POWER LINE, WHICH CROSS THE RIVER PRIOR TO THE BRIDGE, OR REMEMBER STRIKING THEM. THE UNMARKED POWER LINE WAS AN ESTIMATED 60 TO 75 FEET AGL. THE THREE LOWER WIRES OF THE POWER LINE WERE OBSERVED TO BE FRAYED. LINEAR SCRATCHING AND DULL GRAY METAL TRANSFERS WERE FOUND ON SECTIONS OF ONE WOODEN MAIN ROTOR BLADE'S LEADING EDGE AND UNDERSIDE. THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE CENTER VERTICAL CONSOLE ALSO EXHIBITED LINEAR SCRATCHING. CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS. (-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOLLOWING THE ARKANSAS RIVER FROM SOUTHEAST TO NORTHWEST WHEN IT STRUCK THREE POWER LINES APPROXIMATELY FORTY FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD ON A SAND BAR AND ROLLED OVER ON ITS SIDE, PINNING THE PILOT UNDER PART OF THE WRECKAGE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.