What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1986 Hughes 369-E helicopter was laying fiber optic cables when it lost power, the acft auto-rotated to a landing, the pilot sustained minor injuries, and a lineman on the outside of the acft was seriously injured, the lineman later died of his injuries, other circumstances are unknown. (-23)the helicopter was in the hover mode at the time of the accident. A line man was working outside the helicopter on a platform attaching fiber optic cable to a 75' metal power line tower. The helicopter lost engine power because of fuel depletion and subsequently autorotated to a hard landing at a point approximately 50 feet to the side of the tower. The line man that was working on the outside platform was killed and the helicopter was substantially damaged.
As the FAA filed it
1986 HUGHES 369-E HELICOPTER WAS LAYING FIBER OPTIC CABLES WHEN IT LOST POWER, THE ACFT AUTO-ROTATED TO A LANDING, THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND A LINEMAN ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, THE LINEMAN LATER DIED OF HIS INJURIES, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23)THE HELICOPTER WAS IN THE HOVER MODE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. A LINE MAN WAS WORKING OUTSIDE THE HELICOPTER ON A PLATFORM ATTACHING FIBER OPTIC CABLE TO A 75' METAL POWER LINE TOWER. THE HELICOPTER LOST ENGINE POWER BECAUSE OF FUEL DEPLETION AND SUBSEQUENTLY AUTOROTATED TO A HARD LANDING AT A POINT APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET TO THE SIDE OF THE TOWER. THE LINE MAN THAT WAS WORKING ON THE OUTSIDE PLATFORM WAS KILLED AND THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.