What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aerospatiale AD-350B helicopter dropped of passengers at a work site and was taking off when it struck a power line, the acft crashed and was destroyed, the pilot/sole occupant suffered fatal injuries, other circumstances are unknown. (.4)after dropping off passengers at a mining site, the helicopter was observed climbing in a shallow nose down attitude, heading north, when it impacted two electrical wires. The helicopter then descended and impacted on a road between vertical walls of a previously mined area, where it was consumed by a post-crash fire. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of a pre-impact malfunction. Examination of the main rotor blades revealed several scrape marks and gouges consistent with a wire strike. Visibility reported at a nearby airport was 10 statute miles, and a witness to the accident said the wind was 'calm,' and visibility was 'good.' (-23)review of maintenance records for this aircraft revealed no discrepancies.
As the FAA filed it
AEROSPATIALE AD-350B HELICOPTER DROPPED OF PASSENGERS AT A WORK SITE AND WAS TAKING OFF WHEN IT STRUCK A POWER LINE, THE ACFT CRASHED AND WAS DESTROYED, THE PILOT/SOLE OCCUPANT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.4)AFTER DROPPING OFF PASSENGERS AT A MINING SITE, THE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED CLIMBING IN A SHALLOW NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE, HEADING NORTH, WHEN IT IMPACTED TWO ELECTRICAL WIRES. THE HELICOPTER THEN DESCENDED AND IMPACTED ON A ROAD BETWEEN VERTICAL WALLS OF A PREVIOUSLY MINED AREA, WHERE IT WAS CONSUMED BY A POST-CRASH FIRE. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF A PRE-IMPACT MALFUNCTION. EXAMINATION OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES REVEALED SEVERAL SCRAPE MARKS AND GOUGES CONSISTENT WITH A WIRE STRIKE. VISIBILITY REPORTED AT A NEARBY AIRPORT WAS 10 STATUTE MILES, AND A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT SAID THE WIND WAS 'CALM,' AND VISIBILITY WAS 'GOOD.' (-23)REVIEW OF MAINTENANCE RECORDS FOR THIS AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.