What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Mr. James j. costa jr., acting as pilot in command of a wasp helicopter, N51852, was engaged in aerial agricultural application of a field west of and adjacent to road 176, north of ave. 160 in Tulare County, CA, at approximately 0730 hours. While descending over power lines along road 176 toward the field the helicopter struck a single power transmission line, which was seven to eight feet above the lower three sets of power lines. Mr. Costa had not seen the higher power line (66,000 volts) during his reconnaissance prior to application. The helicopter struck the power line above the left skid, approximately a foot above the level of the cockpit floor. The helicopter slid several feet along the power line to the end of its elasticity and it brought the helicopter vertically down where it impacted the ground upright and left skid low. The rotor system struck the ground in two different locations and separated from the helicopter coming to rest some thirty feet northeast of the helicopter. There was no rupture of the fuel system and no fire, although the helicopter was substantially damaged. The pilot received a cut on his back, middle, left side and considerable bruising. There were no other injuries.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) MR. JAMES J. COSTA JR., ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF A WASP HELICOPTER, N51852, WAS ENGAGED IN AERIAL AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION OF A FIELD WEST OF AND ADJACENT TO ROAD 176, NORTH OF AVE. 160 IN TULARE COUNTY, CA, AT APPROXIMATELY 0730 HOURS. WHILE DESCENDING OVER POWER LINES ALONG ROAD 176 TOWARD THE FIELD THE HELICOPTER STRUCK A SINGLE POWER TRANSMISSION LINE, WHICH WAS SEVEN TO EIGHT FEET ABOVE THE LOWER THREE SETS OF POWER LINES. MR. COSTA HAD NOT SEEN THE HIGHER POWER LINE (66,000 VOLTS) DURING HIS RECONNAISSANCE PRIOR TO APPLICATION. THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE POWER LINE ABOVE THE LEFT SKID, APPROXIMATELY A FOOT ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE COCKPIT FLOOR. THE HELICOPTER SLID SEVERAL FEET ALONG THE POWER LINE TO THE END OF ITS ELASTICITY AND IT BROUGHT THE HELICOPTER VERTICALLY DOWN WHERE IT IMPACTED THE GROUND UPRIGHT AND LEFT SKID LOW. THE ROTOR SYSTEM STRUCK THE GROUND IN TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND SEPARATED FROM THE HELICOPTER COMING TO REST SOME THIRTY FEET NORTHEAST OF THE HELICOPTER. THERE WAS NO RUPTURE OF THE FUEL SYSTEM AND NO FIRE, ALTHOUGH THE HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT RECEIVED A CUT ON HIS BACK, MIDDLE, LEFT SIDE AND CONSIDERABLE BRUISING. THERE WERE NO OTHER INJURIES.
Other reports on N51852 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.