What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This was a scene flight from a field not designated as a heliport. The fire department had cleared the landing zone and was standing by with the ground ambulance to transfer the patient to the air-evac part 135 air ambulance. The afternoon sun was at a low angle during takeoff. The area to the west and downslope afforded the best opportunity to get into forward flight and gain altitude. The pilot elected to takeoff this direction. Two 13,000 volt wires came from a pole from south to north across the field. The pole on the north side was not visible. The wires were located 328 feet from the point of takeoff on a heading of 242 degrees and about 35 to 50 feet above ground. The helicopter struck the wires and the wsps (wire strike protection system) cut the upper and lower wires. The helicopter circled and made a landing back at the original takeoff site. The outside air temperature probe was struck by the wires and made a 3 inch hole in the pilot's plexiglass windscreen as it broke away. The wires scraped some paint from several rivet heads on the upper left portion of the cabin. No other visible damage was noted. A ferry permit was obtained from the st. louis FSDO for the aircraft to be returned to its maintenance base. Neither the ground or flight crews had seen the wires, due to the low angle of the sun and haze occluding the wires. The pilot had attempted a vertical takeoff but was unable to do so, due to the high density altitude and near maximum gross takeoff weight. The air carrier conducted post incident training with the pilot at west plains, MO on 8/3/2011. privacy data omitted Was hired by air-evac on 11/01/2010.
As the FAA filed it
THIS WAS A SCENE FLIGHT FROM A FIELD NOT DESIGNATED AS A HELIPORT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD CLEARED THE LANDING ZONE AND WAS STANDING BY WITH THE GROUND AMBULANCE TO TRANSFER THE PATIENT TO THE AIR-EVAC PART 135 AIR AMBULANCE.THE AFTERNOON SUN WAS AT A LOW ANGLE DURING TAKEOFF. THE AREA TO THE WEST AND DOWNSLOPE AFFORDED THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO FORWARD FLIGHT AND GAIN ALTITUDE. THE PILOT ELECTED TO TAKEOFF THIS DIRECTION.TWO 13,000 VOLT WIRES CAME FROM A POLE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ACROSS THE FIELD. THE POLE ON THE NORTH SIDE WAS NOT VISIBLE. THE WIRES WERE LOCATED 328 FEET FROM THE POINT OF TAKEOFF ON A HEADING OF 242 DEGREES AND ABOUT 35 TO 50 FEET ABOVE GROUND.THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE WIRES AND THE WSPS (WIRE STRIKE PROTECTION SYSTEM) CUT THE UPPER AND LOWER WIRES. THE HELICOPTER CIRCLED AND MADE A LANDING BACK AT THE ORIGINAL TAKEOFF SITE. THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE PROBE WAS STRUCK BY THE WIRES AND MADE A 3 INCH HOLE IN THE PILOT'S PLEXIGLASS WINDSCREEN AS IT BROKE AWAY. THE WIRES SCRAPED SOME PAINT FROM SEVERAL RIVET HEADS ON THE UPPER LEFT PORTION OF THE CABIN. NO OTHER VISIBLE DAMAGE WAS NOTED. A FERRY PERMIT WAS OBTAINED FROM THE ST. LOUIS FSDO FOR THE AIRCRAFT TO BE RETURNED TO ITS MAINTENANCE BASE.NEITHER THE GROUND OR FLIGHT CREWS HAD SEEN THE WIRES, DUE TO THE LOW ANGLE OF THE SUN AND HAZE OCCLUDING THE WIRES. THE PILOT HAD ATTEMPTED A VERTICAL TAKEOFF BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO, DUE TO THE HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND NEAR MAXIMUM GROSS TAKEOFF WEIGHT. THE AIR CARRIER CONDUCTED POST INCIDENT TRAINING WITH THE PILOT AT WEST PLAINS, MO ON 8/3/2011. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS HIRED BY AIR-EVAC ON 11/01/2010.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.