What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) While on the base leg approach to Tallassee airport, the pilot operated the aircraft in a manner that caused it to the collide with known power lines. Aircraft was inspected for flight control continuity and systems checks. Aircraft engine was inspected and all systems found ok. (.19) on November 22, 2001, about 1330 central standard time, a Enstrom 280FX, N280XF, registered to tread-aire, LLC, collided with electrical wires, while approaching runway 13, at Reeves Airport, Tallassee, Alabama, while on a 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was destroyed and the commercial-rated pilot received serious injuries. The 2 passengers received fatal injuries. The flight originated from a residence, about 15 minutes before the accident. The pilot stated he keeps the helicopter at his residence. On the day of the accident he flew to his sisters house. After dinner, he departed his sisters house, which is located about 6 miles from the accident site, with the 2 passengers. They flew around the town of Tallassee, and he then entered on the downwind leg for runway 13 at Reeves airp ort. He turned on base over the tallapoosa river, and was flying to the south. He observed a glimmer and remembers seeing power lines. The next thing he remembers is being in the river. (.4) the pilot stated he keeps the helicopter at his residence. On the day of the accident he flew to his sisters house. After dinner, he departed his sisters house, which is located about 5 miles from the accident site, with the 2 passengers. They flew around the town of Tallassee, and he then entered on the downwind leg for runway 13 at Reeves Airport. He turned on base over the tallapoosa river, and was flying to the south. He observed a glimmer and remembers seeing power lines. The next thing he remembers is being in the river. Postcrash examination of the helicopter showed it had collided with an unmarked power transmission line, which drooped below the tree level on the river banks, to a point about 75 feet about the river. The collision occurred about midpoint in the river and the wire rapped around the main rotor mast. The main rotor system separated from the helicopter and the helicopter crashed into the river about 500 feet south of the power lines. P ostcrash examination of the helicopter and engine showed no evidence of precrash failure or malfunction of the helicopter structure, flight controls, or engine. Toxicology tests performed on specimens obtained from the pilot after admission to a hospital were negative for ethanol and drugs.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) WHILE ON THE BASE LEG APPROACH TO TALLASSEE AIRPORT, THE PILOT OPERATED THE AIRCRAFT IN A MANNER THAT CAUSED IT TO THE COLLIDE WITH KNOWN POWER LINES. AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED FOR FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY AND SYSTEMS CHECKS. AIRCRAFT ENGINE WAS INSPECTED AND ALL SYSTEMS FOUND OK. (.19) ON NOVEMBER 22, 2001, ABOUT 1330 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A ENSTROM 280FX, N280XF, REGISTERED TO TREAD-AIRE, LLC, COLLIDED WITH ELECTRICAL WIRES, WHILE APPROACHING RUNWAY 13, AT REEVES AIRPORT, TALLASSEE, ALABAMA, WHILE ON A 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED AND THE COMMERCIAL-RATED PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE 2 PASSENGERS RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A RESIDENCE, ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT STATED HE KEEPS THE HELICOPTER AT HIS RESIDENCE. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT HE FLEW TO HIS SISTERS HOUSE. AFTER DINNER, HE DEPARTED HIS SISTERS HOUSE, WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT 6 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE, WITH THE 2 PASSENGERS. THEY FLEW AROUND THE TOWN OF TALLASSEE, AND HE THEN ENTERED ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 13 AT REEVES AIRP ORT. HE TURNED ON BASE OVER THE TALLAPOOSA RIVER, AND WAS FLYING TO THE SOUTH. HE OBSERVED A GLIMMER AND REMEMBERS SEEING POWER LINES. THE NEXT THING HE REMEMBERS IS BEING IN THE RIVER. (.4) THE PILOT STATED HE KEEPS THE HELICOPTER AT HIS RESIDENCE. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT HE FLEW TO HIS SISTERS HOUSE. AFTER DINNER, HE DEPARTED HIS SISTERS HOUSE, WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE, WITH THE 2 PASSENGERS. THEY FLEW AROUND THE TOWN OF TALLASSEE, AND HE THEN ENTERED ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 13 AT REEVES AIRPORT. HE TURNED ON BASE OVER THE TALLAPOOSA RIVER, AND WAS FLYING TO THE SOUTH. HE OBSERVED A GLIMMER AND REMEMBERS SEEING POWER LINES. THE NEXT THING HE REMEMBERS IS BEING IN THE RIVER. POSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER SHOWED IT HAD COLLIDED WITH AN UNMARKED POWER TRANSMISSION LINE, WHICH DROOPED BELOW THE TREE LEVEL ON THE RIVER BANKS, TO A POINT ABOUT 75 FEET ABOUT THE RIVER. THE COLLISION OCCURRED ABOUT MIDPOINT IN THE RIVER AND THE WIRE RAPPED AROUND THE MAIN ROTOR MAST. THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM SEPARATED FROM THE HELICOPTER AND THE HELICOPTER CRASHED INTO THE RIVER ABOUT 500 FEET SOUTH OF THE POWER LINES. P OSTCRASH EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER AND ENGINE SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE HELICOPTER STRUCTURE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, OR ENGINE. TOXICOLOGY TESTS PERFORMED ON SPECIMENS OBTAINED FROM THE PILOT AFTER ADMISSION TO A HOSPITAL WERE NEGATIVE FOR ETHANOL AND DRUGS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.