What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 29, 2009, at 1613 Alaska daylight time, a Hughes HU-369-D helicopter, N1088N, operated by temsco helicopters, ketchikan, Alaska as a 14 CFR part 135 power line patrol flight sustained minor damage when a rotor blade struck a guide wire on tower #102 near Shrimp Bay, Alaska. The commercial certificated pilot and one passenger received no injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a company flight plan was in effect. The pilot stated that the purpose was to fly one passenger (an inspector) to every tower structure ahead on line beginning at tower 94. This included inspections from the air and ground. Every tower is circled at least twice counter clockwise and then a landing is accomplished and the inspector then continues his inspection outside of the helicopter. At this point in the power line construction project all three phases (power lines, towers and guide wires) have been installed and therefore the clear cut area is not as easily accessible as earlier in the project. Depending on the location and orientation of the power line the towers have guide wires attached to them ranging from one up to fourteen per tower. No tower structure #102 the pilot stated that he flew alongside the power line at about 25 feet above the wire. He approached the tower and completed two full turns around the tower. Both he and the inspector noticed only one guide wire located on the uphill side of the line. No other guide lines were identified by either the inspector or the pilot. The pilot descended on the downhill side of the tower to land for the inspector to conduct his ground inspection. During his descent at about 15-20 feet above the ground and a ground speed of a slow walking pace one of the helicopters rotor blades came into contact with an unseen guide wire. After the wire strike a constant medium frequency vibration was felt and controllability was in tact. The pilot landed the helicopter and discovered minor damage of about three quarters of an inch in diameter and located only on one blade approximately 1 inch inward of the blade tip. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the helicopter prior to the accident.
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 29, 2009, AT 1613 ALASKA DAYLIGHT TIME, A HUGHES HU-369-D HELICOPTER, N1088N, OPERATED BY TEMSCO HELICOPTERS, KETCHIKAN, ALASKA AS A 14 CFR PART 135 POWER LINE PATROL FLIGHT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN A ROTOR BLADE STRUCK A GUIDE WIRE ON TOWER #102 NEAR SHRIMP BAY, ALASKA. THE COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATED PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER RECEIVED NO INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A COMPANY FLIGHT PLAN WAS IN EFFECT.THE PILOT STATED THAT THE PURPOSE WAS TO FLY ONE PASSENGER (AN INSPECTOR) TO EVERY TOWER STRUCTURE AHEAD ON LINE BEGINNING AT TOWER 94. THIS INCLUDED INSPECTIONS FROM THE AIR AND GROUND. EVERY TOWER IS CIRCLED AT LEAST TWICE COUNTER CLOCKWISE AND THEN A LANDING IS ACCOMPLISHED AND THE INSPECTOR THEN CONTINUES HIS INSPECTION OUTSIDE OF THE HELICOPTER. AT THIS POINT IN THE POWER LINE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ALL THREE PHASES (POWER LINES, TOWERS AND GUIDE WIRES) HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AND THEREFORE THE CLEAR CUT AREA IS NOT AS EASILY ACCESSIBLE AS EARLIER IN THE PROJECT. DEPENDING ON THE LOCATION AND ORIENTATION OF THE POWER LINE THE TOWERS HAVE GUIDE WIRES ATTACHED TO THEM RANGING FROM ONE UP TO FOURTEEN PER TOWER. NO TOWER STRUCTURE #102 THE PILOT STATED THAT HE FLEW ALONGSIDE THE POWER LINE AT ABOUT 25 FEET ABOVE THE WIRE. HE APPROACHED THE TOWER AND COMPLETED TWO FULL TURNS AROUND THE TOWER. BOTH HE AND THE INSPECTOR NOTICED ONLY ONE GUIDE WIRE LOCATED ON THE UPHILL SIDE OF THE LINE. NO OTHER GUIDE LINES WERE IDENTIFIED BY EITHER THE INSPECTOR OR THE PILOT. THE PILOT DESCENDED ON THE DOWNHILL SIDE OF THE TOWER TO LAND FOR THE INSPECTOR TO CONDUCT HIS GROUND INSPECTION. DURING HIS DESCENT AT ABOUT 15-20 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND A GROUND SPEED OF A SLOW WALKING PACE ONE OF THE HELICOPTERS ROTOR BLADES CAME INTO CONTACT WITH AN UNSEEN GUIDE WIRE. AFTER THE WIRE STRIKE A CONSTANT MEDIUM FREQUENCY VIBRATION WAS FELT AND CONTROLLABILITY WAS IN TACT. THE PILOT LANDED THE HELICOPTER AND DISCOVERED MINOR DAMAGE OF ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH IN DIAMETER AND LOCATED ONLY ON ONE BLADE APPROXIMATELY 1 INCH INWARD OF THE BLADE TIP. THE PILOT REPORTED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE HELICOPTER PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
Other reports on N1088N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.