What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On November 10, 2002, about 1155 hours mountain standard time, an aerospatiale AS350B, N909WA, collided with a transmission line and impacted the terrain near Kingman, Arizona. The pilot was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91. Two passengers sustained minor injuries and the pilot was not injured. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The local flight departed Kingman airport about 15 minutes earlier that day to shoot an aerial photographic sequence. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot reported that he was filming a motor home for the "ripley's believe it or not" television series. The helicopter was crabbing sideways, paralleling highway 66 as it impacted the transmission line. Both he and another crewmember had noticed the transmission line just before the impact. By then one rotor blade had struck, sending the helicopter into a descent. There were no mechanical or weather issues. (-23) this flight was involved in an aerial photography mission for the television show, "ripley's believe it or not." While en route to the remote si te of the main photography event, the helicopter was photographing the show's motor home traveling along route 66 north of Kingman, AZ. Since there were power lines along the west side of route 66, the pilot flew northbound on the east side about 60 to 75 feet AGL. The helicopter was flown with about a 30 degree left crab angle to forward flight to provide an unobstructed view for the camera. When the helicopter moved ahead of the caravan of vehicles, the pilot slowed the aircraft into an out of ground effect hover to allow the vehicles to catch up. As the motor home moved abeam the aircraft, the pilot initiated forward flight. Shortly thereafter, the pilot and left front passenger saw a cable and the pilot initiated a rapid deceleration to avoid it. However, the helicopter struck the cable and was forced to the ground. The power cable was strung from the west side of the highway to a position east of the helicopter's flight path. The span of cable crossing the highway had much longer than usual spacing between its poles making it more difficult to perceive the crossing.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON NOVEMBER 10, 2002, ABOUT 1155 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS350B, N909WA, COLLIDED WITH A TRANSMISSION LINE AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN NEAR KINGMAN, ARIZONA. THE PILOT WAS OPERATING THE HELICOPTER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. TWO PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES AND THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED KINGMAN AIRPORT ABOUT 15 MINUTES EARLIER THAT DAY TO SHOOT AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SEQUENCE. DAY VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS FILMING A MOTOR HOME FOR THE "RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT" TELEVISION SERIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS CRABBING SIDEWAYS, PARALLELING HIGHWAY 66 AS IT IMPACTED THE TRANSMISSION LINE. BOTH HE AND ANOTHER CREWMEMBER HAD NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION LINE JUST BEFORE THE IMPACT. BY THEN ONE ROTOR BLADE HAD STRUCK, SENDING THE HELICOPTER INTO A DESCENT. THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL OR WEATHER ISSUES. (-23) THIS FLIGHT WAS INVOLVED IN AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY MISSION FOR THE TELEVISION SHOW, "RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT." WHILE EN ROUTE TO THE REMOTE SI TE OF THE MAIN PHOTOGRAPHY EVENT, THE HELICOPTER WAS PHOTOGRAPHING THE SHOW'S MOTOR HOME TRAVELING ALONG ROUTE 66 NORTH OF KINGMAN, AZ. SINCE THERE WERE POWER LINES ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF ROUTE 66, THE PILOT FLEW NORTHBOUND ON THE EAST SIDE ABOUT 60 TO 75 FEET AGL. THE HELICOPTER WAS FLOWN WITH ABOUT A 30 DEGREE LEFT CRAB ANGLE TO FORWARD FLIGHT TO PROVIDE AN UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW FOR THE CAMERA. WHEN THE HELICOPTER MOVED AHEAD OF THE CARAVAN OF VEHICLES, THE PILOT SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT INTO AN OUT OF GROUND EFFECT HOVER TO ALLOW THE VEHICLES TO CATCH UP. AS THE MOTOR HOME MOVED ABEAM THE AIRCRAFT, THE PILOT INITIATED FORWARD FLIGHT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PILOT AND LEFT FRONT PASSENGER SAW A CABLE AND THE PILOT INITIATED A RAPID DECELERATION TO AVOID IT. HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE CABLE AND WAS FORCED TO THE GROUND. THE POWER CABLE WAS STRUNG FROM THE WEST SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY TO A POSITION EAST OF THE HELICOPTER'S FLIGHT PATH. THE SPAN OF CABLE CROSSING THE HIGHWAY HAD MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL SPACING BETWEEN ITS POLES MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO PERCEIVE THE CROSSING.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.