What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Helicopter operatd by company named AIR-2, LLC. Crew of two; pilot in left front seat, line worker on door sill & left skid behind pilot, were assisting with high tension power line construction on hill-side work site in Brookline, VT. They were headed south, hovering at 50FT, just west of the lines and slightly to the south of support structure #144. They were installing a pulley (hold-down block) on a previously installed rope (cable-pull) line. The helicopter struck the rope (cable pull) line and then fell onto the tower guy-wires. The rope was cut and wrapped several times around the main rotor mast just below the swash plate. The helicopter came to rest on its left side headed north on the steep embankment just south of the support tower. Both occupants sustained injuries and were hospitalized. The pilot was released within 72 hours, he said it sounded and felt like something hit the main rotor. The line worker has more serious injuries and will require extensive medical care, he saw one wave pass along the rope and missed them, but the second wave struck the main rotor. The helicopter is a total loss. Third party property damage is not significant, with some damage to the tower support wires and line installation equipment.
As the FAA filed it
HELICOPTER OPERATD BY COMPANY NAMED AIR-2, LLC. CREW OF TWO; PILOT IN LEFT FRONT SEAT, LINE WORKER ON DOOR SILL & LEFT SKID BEHIND PILOT, WERE ASSISTING WITH HIGH TENSION POWER LINE CONSTRUCTION ON HILL-SIDE WORK SITE IN BROOKLINE, VT. THEY WERE HEADED SOUTH, HOVERING AT 50FT, JUST WEST OF THE LINES AND SLIGHTLY TO THE SOUTH OF SUPPORT STRUCTURE #144. THEY WERE INSTALLING A PULLEY (HOLD-DOWN BLOCK) ON A PREVIOUSLY INSTALLED ROPE (CABLE-PULL) LINE. THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE ROPE (CABLE PULL) LINE AND THEN FELL ONTO THE TOWER GUY-WIRES. THE ROPE WAS CUT AND WRAPPED SEVERAL TIMES AROUND THE MAIN ROTOR MAST JUST BELOW THE SWASH PLATE. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE HEADED NORTH ON THE STEEP EMBANKMENT JUST SOUTH OF THE SUPPORT TOWER. BOTH OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED INJURIES AND WERE HOSPITALIZED. THE PILOT WAS RELEASED WITHIN 72 HOURS, HE SAID IT SOUNDED AND FELT LIKE SOMETHING HIT THE MAIN ROTOR. THE LINE WORKER HAS MORE SERIOUS INJURIES AND WILL REQUIRE EXTENSIVE MEDICAL CARE, HE SAW ONE WAVE PASS ALONG THE ROPE AND MISSED THEM, BUT THE SECOND WAVE STRUCK THE MAIN ROTOR.THE HELICOPTER IS A TOTAL LOSS. THIRD PARTY PROPERTY DAMAGE IS NOT SIGNIFICANT, WITH SOME DAMAGE TO THE TOWER SUPPORT WIRES AND LINE INSTALLATION EQUIPMENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.