What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) This is an interim report. The final report will be forwarded when all applicable information is known and investigated. (.19) on December 27, 2001, at 1241 mountain standard time, a Hughes 369E, N280SP, registered to and operated by helicopters by oz, inc., d/b/a helicopter capture services of marysvale, Utah, struck electrical transmission wires and impacted water while maneuvering 6 miles east of salt lake city, Utah. The commercial pilot, another company employee, and a Utah division of wildlife resources employee were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed for the public use flight being conducted under title 14 CFR part 133/135. The flight originated at a staging area located about 5 miles east of the accident site approximately 1230. The helicopter had been contracted by the state of Utah to relocate moose from mountain dell reservoir to an area 5 miles east, where they would be less hazardous to traffic on interstate highway 80. According to the pilot's son who witnessed the accident, the crew had transferred four moose to the staging area that morning. The helicopter landed and the cre w had lunch, then gave a brief interview to a local television station. They departed the staging area and returned to the reservoir where the witness disembarked. He stated that the crew was trying to herd a moose off the frozen reservoir back towards the shoreline. When they had done so, the helicopter turned and flew into the transmission wires. The tail rotor and aft portion of the tail boom became entangled in the wires, and the helicopter fell inverted onto the frozen reservoir. It broke through the ice, sank, then floated back to the surface. Rescuers were able to attach a line to the helicopter and pull it to shore. The witness stated that at the time of the accident, visibility was approximately 1 mile in fog.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THIS IS AN INTERIM REPORT. THE FINAL REPORT WILL BE FORWARDED WHEN ALL APPLICABLE INFORMATION IS KNOWN AND INVESTIGATED. (.19) ON DECEMBER 27, 2001, AT 1241 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A HUGHES 369E, N280SP, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY HELICOPTERS BY OZ, INC., D/B/A HELICOPTER CAPTURE SERVICES OF MARYSVALE, UTAH, STRUCK ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION WIRES AND IMPACTED WATER WHILE MANEUVERING 6 MILES EAST OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, ANOTHER COMPANY EMPLOYEE, AND A UTAH DIVISION OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES EMPLOYEE WERE FATALLY INJURED. INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE PUBLIC USE FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 133/135. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT A STAGING AREA LOCATED ABOUT 5 MILES EAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE APPROXIMATELY 1230. THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN CONTRACTED BY THE STATE OF UTAH TO RELOCATE MOOSE FROM MOUNTAIN DELL RESERVOIR TO AN AREA 5 MILES EAST, WHERE THEY WOULD BE LESS HAZARDOUS TO TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY 80. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S SON WHO WITNESSED THE ACCIDENT, THE CREW HAD TRANSFERRED FOUR MOOSE TO THE STAGING AREA THAT MORNING. THE HELICOPTER LANDED AND THE CRE W HAD LUNCH, THEN GAVE A BRIEF INTERVIEW TO A LOCAL TELEVISION STATION. THEY DEPARTED THE STAGING AREA AND RETURNED TO THE RESERVOIR WHERE THE WITNESS DISEMBARKED. HE STATED THAT THE CREW WAS TRYING TO HERD A MOOSE OFF THE FROZEN RESERVOIR BACK TOWARDS THE SHORELINE. WHEN THEY HAD DONE SO, THE HELICOPTER TURNED AND FLEW INTO THE TRANSMISSION WIRES. THE TAIL ROTOR AND AFT PORTION OF THE TAIL BOOM BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE WIRES, AND THE HELICOPTER FELL INVERTED ONTO THE FROZEN RESERVOIR. IT BROKE THROUGH THE ICE, SANK, THEN FLOATED BACK TO THE SURFACE. RESCUERS WERE ABLE TO ATTACH A LINE TO THE HELICOPTER AND PULL IT TO SHORE. THE WITNESS STATED THAT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, VISIBILITY WAS APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE IN FOG.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.