What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Approx. 2:20 pm on Saturday 8/17/2013, PIC departed from rosie?s diner in Healy, AK with 3 passengers on board, destination was tower 155 on the golden valley electric association (gvea) Healy- to fairbanks 138KV powerline. The purpose of the flight was to resume tower inspections with gvea linemen. PIC entered the powerline corridor between towers 155 & 156 and hovered beneath the wires to a landing site at tower 155 where a pax (lineman) exited and cleared the helicopter. PIC then took off and proceeded with two passengers on board, toward next intended landing site at tower 154. After hovering approximately 20 yards, PIC encountered an area of vegetation that appeared to block his path. PIC determined the best course of action to continue through the brushy area, as there was no room to go around the brush and the wires were too low to climb over the area. While moving through the vegetation, PIC heard a noise initially thought to be an item falling on the back floor. After PIC asked ?what was that? ? To the 2 pax, pax in the back seat said he thought they may have hit something. At this point, PIC having realized that nothing inside the aircraft had made the noise, suspected a wire strike. The next available landing area was tower 154, continued toward that location, PIC heard no unusual noises and felt no new vibrations in the aircraft. PIC saw nothing abnormal in view of the main rotor tip path plane and rotor disk. After landing at tower 154, PIC completed a normal shutdown to inspect the helicopter. During inspection, PIC discovered tip cap damage on 2 main rotor blades. PIC contacted era helicopters and requested a mechanic to inspect and possibly release the helicopter to return to base. While PIC waited for the mechanic, the gvea linemen inspected the wire with binoculars, and discovered minor damage in the area where they had the suspected strike. After the mechanic inspected the aircraft, and conferred with his supervisor, it was determined that a more thorough inspection was desirable, secured the aircraft and departed the area.
As the FAA filed it
APPROX. 2:20 PM ON SATURDAY 8/17/2013, PIC DEPARTED FROM ROSIE?S DINER IN HEALY, AK WITH 3 PASSENGERS ON BOARD, DESTINATION WAS TOWER 155 ON THE GOLDEN VALLEY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION (GVEA) HEALY- TO FAIRBANKS 138KV POWERLINE. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO RESUME TOWER INSPECTIONS WITH GVEA LINEMEN. PIC ENTERED THE POWERLINE CORRIDOR BETWEEN TOWERS 155 & 156 AND HOVERED BENEATH THE WIRES TO A LANDING SITE AT TOWER 155 WHERE A PAX (LINEMAN) EXITED AND CLEARED THE HELICOPTER. PIC THEN TOOK OFF AND PROCEEDED WITH TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD, TOWARD NEXT INTENDED LANDING SITE AT TOWER 154. AFTER HOVERING APPROXIMATELY 20 YARDS, PIC ENCOUNTERED AN AREA OF VEGETATION THAT APPEARED TO BLOCK HIS PATH. PIC DETERMINED THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE BRUSHY AREA, AS THERE WAS NO ROOM TO GO AROUND THE BRUSH AND THE WIRES WERE TOO LOW TO CLIMB OVER THE AREA. WHILE MOVING THROUGH THE VEGETATION, PIC HEARD A NOISE INITIALLY THOUGHT TO BE AN ITEM FALLING ON THE BACK FLOOR. AFTER PIC ASKED ?WHAT WAS THAT? ? TO THE 2 PAX, PAX IN THE BACK SEAT SAID HE THOUGHT THEY MAY HAVE HIT SOMETHING. AT THIS POINT, PIC HAVING REALIZED THAT NOTHING INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT HAD MADE THE NOISE, SUSPECTED A WIRE STRIKE. THE NEXT AVAILABLE LANDING AREA WAS TOWER 154, CONTINUED TOWARD THAT LOCATION, PIC HEARD NO UNUSUAL NOISES AND FELT NO NEW VIBRATIONS IN THE AIRCRAFT. PIC SAW NOTHING ABNORMAL IN VIEW OF THE MAIN ROTOR TIP PATH PLANE AND ROTOR DISK. AFTER LANDING AT TOWER 154, PIC COMPLETED A NORMAL SHUTDOWN TO INSPECT THE HELICOPTER. DURING INSPECTION, PIC DISCOVERED TIP CAP DAMAGE ON 2 MAIN ROTOR BLADES. PIC CONTACTED ERA HELICOPTERS AND REQUESTED A MECHANIC TO INSPECT AND POSSIBLY RELEASE THE HELICOPTER TO RETURN TO BASE. WHILE PIC WAITED FOR THE MECHANIC, THE GVEA LINEMEN INSPECTED THE WIRE WITH BINOCULARS, AND DISCOVERED MINOR DAMAGE IN THE AREA WHERE THEY HAD THE SUSPECTED STRIKE. AFTER THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT, AND CONFERRED WITH HIS SUPERVISOR, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A MORE THOROUGH INSPECTION WAS DESIRABLE, SECURED THE AIRCRAFT AND DEPARTED THE AREA.