What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot had just completed an aerial application called a "clipping operation" of fiber optic wire on a power line tower structure. The 3 linemen had just transferred from atop the tower structure to the aircraft and there were 2 linemen in the rear passenger compartment sitting on the floor, 1 lineman on the left skid, and an external load attached to a 40 foot long line. As the pilot cleared the tower structure in a climbing out maneuver, the external load caught on the tower 16 feet from the top, and the aircraft experienced a severe vibration with a subsequent loss of control. The tail rotor contacted one of the lower high voltage power lines (line was de-energized), resulting in loss of tail rotor authority and impact with the ground. The external load synthetic long line had snapped 14 feet above the external load apparatus. This portion of the line and apparatus were found at the base of the tower structure. The rest of the long line remained attached to the cargo hook mount on the fuselage. The lineman on the left skid received fatal injuries. The weather was sunny, clear, and calm, with a 10 mile visibility and no winds.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT HAD JUST COMPLETED AN AERIAL APPLICATION CALLED A "CLIPPING OPERATION" OF FIBER OPTIC WIRE ON A POWER LINE TOWER STRUCTURE. THE 3 LINEMEN HAD JUST TRANSFERRED FROM ATOP THE TOWER STRUCTURE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND THERE WERE 2 LINEMEN IN THE REAR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT SITTING ON THE FLOOR, 1 LINEMAN ON THE LEFT SKID, AND AN EXTERNAL LOAD ATTACHED TO A 40 FOOT LONG LINE. AS THE PILOT CLEARED THE TOWER STRUCTURE IN A CLIMBING OUT MANEUVER, THE EXTERNAL LOAD CAUGHT ON THE TOWER 16 FEET FROM THE TOP, AND THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A SEVERE VIBRATION WITH A SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF CONTROL. THE TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED ONE OF THE LOWER HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES (LINE WAS DE-ENERGIZED), RESULTING IN LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY AND IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE EXTERNAL LOAD SYNTHETIC LONG LINE HAD SNAPPED 14 FEET ABOVE THE EXTERNAL LOAD APPARATUS. THIS PORTION OF THE LINE AND APPARATUS WERE FOUND AT THE BASE OF THE TOWER STRUCTURE. THE REST OF THE LONG LINE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE CARGO HOOK MOUNT ON THE FUSELAGE. THE LINEMAN ON THE LEFT SKID RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE WEATHER WAS SUNNY, CLEAR, AND CALM, WITH A 10 MILE VISIBILITY AND NO WINDS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.