# Incident 20110801016359I: Bell Helicopter 206L-4, Reliance, TN, August 1, 2011

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 1, 2011, 18:38 local time
- Place: Reliance, TN
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: EVCA
- Location: 35.2333° N, 84.4542° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2333&lon=-84.4542&mi=10
- Aircraft: N484AE, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N484AE) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell Helicopter Textron Canada 206L-4 (registry code 1181455, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-canada-206l-4) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Rolls-Royce 250-C30P (registry code 54013, https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c30p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL HELICOPTER 206L-4
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,173 total, 116 in this make and model, 34 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA11IA436](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11IA436) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110801016359I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA11IA436](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11IA436), Aug 1, 2011: Bell 206 (N484AE), Relience, TN, incident, minor damage. Probable cause: Inadvertent contact with wires due to the lack of visual cues regarding their presence and the low angle of the sun, which was directly in the takeoff path.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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