What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)The helicopter had been used for fiber optic cable installation support operations earlier that day. The helicopter landed next to a company fuel truck at a job site approximately 20 miles south-southeast of farmington, new Mexico, and approximately 12 miles west-southwest of the accident site. There the helicopter was refueled. The pilot told the driver he and his passenger were returning to four corners regional airport in farmington. Shortly after it departed, an oilfield worker, investigating the source of a smoke plume, found the burning wreckage of the helicopter and notified authorities. A severed static line was found nearby. The utility company estimated the height of the static line, at the point where it was severed, to be 39 feet. The power lines were estimated to be 35 feet above the ground. A toxicological screen revealed the presence of tetrahydrocannabinol (marijuana) and tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (primary inactive metabolite of marijuana) in blood, lung, and bile. (-23)on may 1, 2000, at approximately 1810 MST, a Mcdonnell Douglas, HU-369-E helicopter, N1606K, struck a power line, crashed and burned in a river bed approximately 6 miles southeast of bloomfield, NM. The pilot and only passenger on board were fatally injured. The flight was operating under part 91 regulations. The flight was conducted in VFR conditions. (.19)on may 1, 2000, approximately 1810 MDT, a Mcdonnell Douglas helicopter 369E, N1606K, registered to and operated by winco, inc., of molalla, Oregon, struck a powerline and impatced terrain 6 miles south of bloomfield, new Mexico. The commerical pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Visaul meteorlogical conditions prevailed, and flight plan had been filed for the flight being conducted uder title 14 CFR part 91. The flight originated at a nearby staging area. According to company personnel, the helicopter and crew had been supporting fiber optic cable installation operations eariler that day. The helicopter landed next to a company fuel truck and was refueled. The pilot told the driver he and his passenger were returning to the [four corners regional] airport. Shortly thereafter, an oilfield worker, invesigated the source of a plume of smoke, found the burning wreckage and notified authoritied. A severed power line was found nearby.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN USED FOR FIBER OPTIC CABLE INSTALLATION SUPPORT OPERATIONS EARLIER THAT DAY. THE HELICOPTER LANDED NEXT TO A COMPANY FUEL TRUCK AT A JOB SITE APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO, AND APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE. THERE THE HELICOPTER WAS REFUELED. THE PILOT TOLD THE DRIVER HE AND HIS PASSENGER WERE RETURNING TO FOUR CORNERS REGIONAL AIRPORT IN FARMINGTON. SHORTLY AFTER IT DEPARTED, AN OILFIELD WORKER, INVESTIGATING THE SOURCE OF A SMOKE PLUME, FOUND THE BURNING WRECKAGE OF THE HELICOPTER AND NOTIFIED AUTHORITIES. A SEVERED STATIC LINE WAS FOUND NEARBY. THE UTILITY COMPANY ESTIMATED THE HEIGHT OF THE STATIC LINE, AT THE POINT WHERE IT WAS SEVERED, TO BE 39 FEET. THE POWER LINES WERE ESTIMATED TO BE 35 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. A TOXICOLOGICAL SCREEN REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL (MARIJUANA) AND TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL CARBOXYLIC ACID (PRIMARY INACTIVE METABOLITE OF MARIJUANA) IN BLOOD, LUNG, AND BILE. (-23)ON MAY 1, 2000, AT APPROXIMATELY 1810 MST, A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS, HU-369-E HELICOPTER, N1606K, STRUCK A POWER LINE, CRASHED AND BURNED IN A RIVER BED APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BLOOMFIELD, NM. THE PILOT AND ONLY PASSENGER ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS OPERATING UNDER PART 91 REGULATIONS. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED IN VFR CONDITIONS. (.19)ON MAY 1, 2000, APPROXIMATELY 1810 MDT, A MCDONNELL DOUGLAS HELICOPTER 369E, N1606K, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY WINCO, INC., OF MOLALLA, OREGON, STRUCK A POWERLINE AND IMPATCED TERRAIN 6 MILES SOUTH OF BLOOMFIELD, NEW MEXICO. THE COMMERICAL PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISAUL METEORLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT A NEARBY STAGING AREA. ACCORDING TO COMPANY PERSONNEL, THE HELICOPTER AND CREW HAD BEEN SUPPORTING FIBER OPTIC CABLE INSTALLATION OPERATIONS EARILER THAT DAY. THE HELICOPTER LANDED NEXT TO A COMPANY FUEL TRUCK AND WAS REFUELED. THE PILOT TOLD THE DRIVER HE AND HIS PASSENGER WERE RETURNING TO THE [FOUR CORNERS REGIONAL] AIRPORT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, AN OILFIELD WORKER, INVESIGATED THE SOURCE OF A PLUME OF SMOKE, FOUND THE BURNING WRECKAGE AND NOTIFIED AUTHORITIED. A SEVERED POWER LINE WAS FOUND NEARBY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.