What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 6, 2004 at 1959 CDT, a Eurocopter EC-130 B4 helicopter, N450CM, registered to sirrus aviation inc. collided with high tension power lines three miles north of Prairie du sac, Wisconsin while flying on a southeasterly heading. The power lines cross a bay that forms a part of the Wisconsin river. The inflight breakup of the aircraft resulted in loss of control and impact with a home. The resulting fire destroyed the remainder of the aircraft and resulted in substantial damage to the residence. Official sunset time was 2012 CDT. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was not filed. The commercial rated helicopter pilot and his passenger, a student pilot, were fatally injured. The pilot of N450CM, a british citizen, was on an extensive united states vacation with the aircraft and had departed ft. lauderdale, FL on June 30th. The August 6th portion of the trip originated at billings, Montana with stops at belle fourche, south dakota, huron, south dakota and rochester, Minnesota. The flight departed rochester at approximately 1856 CDT with a stated destination of milwaukee, Wisconsin.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 6, 2004 AT 1959 CDT, A EUROCOPTER EC-130 B4 HELICOPTER, N450CM, REGISTERED TO SIRRUS AVIATION INC. COLLIDED WITH HIGH TENSION POWER LINES THREE MILES NORTH OF PRAIRIE DU SAC, WISCONSIN WHILE FLYING ON A SOUTHEASTERLY HEADING. THE POWER LINES CROSS A BAY THAT FORMS A PART OF THE WISCONSIN RIVER. THE INFLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRCRAFT RESULTED IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND IMPACT WITH A HOME. THE RESULTING FIRE DESTROYED THE REMAINDER OF THE AIRCRAFT AND RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE RESIDENCE. OFFICIAL SUNSET TIME WAS 2012 CDT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE COMMERCIAL RATED HELICOPTER PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER, A STUDENT PILOT, WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE PILOT OF N450CM, A BRITISH CITIZEN, WAS ON AN EXTENSIVE UNITED STATES VACATION WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND HAD DEPARTED FT. LAUDERDALE, FL ON JUNE 30TH. THE AUGUST 6TH PORTION OF THE TRIP ORIGINATED AT BILLINGS, MONTANA WITH STOPS AT BELLE FOURCHE, SOUTH DAKOTA, HURON, SOUTH DAKOTA AND ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ROCHESTER AT APPROXIMATELY 1856 CDT WITH A STATED DESTINATION OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.