What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On nov. 21, 2006, at 1250 MST, a Hughes 369E, N500FU, crashed and was destroyed after striking high tension wires, approx 2 miles n.e. of Jensen, UT. The aircraft was performing aerial surveillance, (search and rescue) for the uintah co. sheriff's department. The helicopter was owned by martin drilling of vernal, UT and piloted by an employee privacy data omitted and 1 passenger privacy data omitted a deputy sheriff as an observer. privacy data omitted Was killed, and the pilot privacy data omitted sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from vernal, UT (vel) at 1230 MST and flew directly to the bridge that crosses the green river on hwy 40. The helicopter turned south (downstream), on the west side of the river, overflew the wires, approx 1/2 mile, made a LH turn to the north, overflew the wires and a tower that sat on bluff overlooking the river on the east side, then the helo made another LH turn above the bridge, traveling on the east side of the river, and struck the wires. The aircraft snagged the wires cutting 2, with the rotor mast, and tail rotor, then continued down and struck the east bank, and bounced into the river. The helicopter ended up facing west on its rt side, 10 feet offshore, half submerged.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON NOV. 21, 2006, AT 1250 MST, A HUGHES 369E, N500FU, CRASHED AND WAS DESTROYED AFTER STRIKING HIGH TENSION WIRES, APPROX 2 MILES N.E. OF JENSEN, UT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS PERFORMING AERIAL SURVEILLANCE, (SEARCH AND RESCUE) FOR THE UINTAH CO. SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED BY MARTIN DRILLING OF VERNAL, UT AND PILOTED BY AN EMPLOYEE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND 1 PASSENGER ^PRIVACY D^ A DEPUTY SHERIFF AS AN OBSERVER. ^PRIVACY^ WAS KILLED, AND THE PILOT ^PRIVACY^ SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM VERNAL, UT (VEL) AT 1230 MST AND FLEW DIRECTLY TO THE BRIDGE THAT CROSSES THE GREEN RIVER ON HWY 40. THE HELICOPTER TURNED SOUTH (DOWNSTREAM), ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RIVER, OVERFLEW THE WIRES, APPROX 1/2 MILE, MADE A LH TURN TO THE NORTH, OVERFLEW THE WIRES AND A TOWER THAT SAT ON BLUFF OVERLOOKING THE RIVER ON THE EAST SIDE, THEN THE HELO MADE ANOTHER LH TURN ABOVE THE BRIDGE, TRAVELING ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RIVER, AND STRUCK THE WIRES. THE AIRCRAFT SNAGGED THE WIRES CUTTING 2, WITH THE ROTOR MAST, AND TAIL ROTOR, THEN CONTINUED DOWN AND STRUCK THE EAST BANK, AND BOUNCED INTO THE RIVER. THE HELICOPTER ENDED UP FACING WEST ON ITS RT SIDE, 10 FEET OFFSHORE, HALF SUBMERGED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N500FU · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.