What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Pilot departed auburn airport at approximately 10 am enroute to nelson, CA. While enroute at 500 AGL, the pilot and his passengers decided to fly at a lower altitude to have a better look at the river bed over which they were flying. The pilot initiated a high rate of descent during which he noticed a set of powerlines. The pilot attempted to avoid the powerlines by reducing the rate of descent, pulling up on the collective and cyclic. With a nose high attitude, the tail rotor of the aircraft made contact with the powerlines. The majority of the tail rotor blades were cut off and so was the majority of the lower vertical fin. The pilot initiated an autorotation and during the landing, the helicopter experienced dynamic rollover. The aircraft was substantially damaged, the occupants were not hurt, visual meteorlogical conditions prevailed.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) PILOT DEPARTED AUBURN AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 10 AM ENROUTE TO NELSON, CA. WHILE ENROUTE AT 500 AGL, THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGERS DECIDED TO FLY AT A LOWER ALTITUDE TO HAVE A BETTER LOOK AT THE RIVER BED OVER WHICH THEY WERE FLYING. THE PILOT INITIATED A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT DURING WHICH HE NOTICED A SET OF POWERLINES. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO AVOID THE POWERLINES BY REDUCING THE RATE OF DESCENT, PULLING UP ON THE COLLECTIVE AND CYCLIC. WITH A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, THE TAIL ROTOR OF THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE POWERLINES. THE MAJORITY OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE CUT OFF AND SO WAS THE MAJORITY OF THE LOWER VERTICAL FIN. THE PILOT INITIATED AN AUTOROTATION AND DURING THE LANDING, THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED DYNAMIC ROLLOVER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, THE OCCUPANTS WERE NOT HURT, VISUAL METEORLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.