What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During normal privacy data omitted conducted at or below 30 ft. AGL, which was necessary to mitigate product drift, while on the last edge cleanup pass along a road that had powerlines running parallel to it, the helicopter struck a known perpendicular powerline that ran out to a pumping station in the field. The PIC was fully aware of and had routinely flown under this perpendicular wireset multiple times while completing the rest of the field in the minutes just before the accident. The upper wire strike protection system (wsps) cutter showed arching marks, and appears to have cut at least one energized wire. The impact with the perpendicular wires pulled the aircraft into the set of wires that paralleled the road, and the main rotor head and blades separated from the mast, and the tailboom separated at the mid point. The fuselage came to rest on its left side, crushing the left side of the cockpit and cabin. The pilot, who was seated in the right pilot seat and wearing proper ppe, including a helmet, received only minor injuries. The helicopter was destroyed and there was no post crash fire. The powerlines were broken and wreckage scattered into the subject field and adjacent roadway, damaging the electric grid components, the crop and the road surface.
As the FAA filed it
DURING NORMAL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CONDUCTED AT OR BELOW 30 FT. AGL, WHICH WAS NECESSARY TO MITIGATE PRODUCT DRIFT, WHILE ON THE LAST EDGE CLEANUP PASS ALONG A ROAD THAT HAD POWERLINES RUNNING PARALLEL TO IT, THE HELICOPTER STRUCK A KNOWN PERPENDICULAR POWERLINE THAT RAN OUT TO A PUMPING STATION IN THE FIELD. THE PIC WAS FULLY AWARE OF AND HAD ROUTINELY FLOWN UNDER THIS PERPENDICULAR WIRESET MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE COMPLETING THE REST OF THE FIELD IN THE MINUTES JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. THE UPPER WIRE STRIKE PROTECTION SYSTEM (WSPS) CUTTER SHOWED ARCHING MARKS, AND APPEARS TO HAVE CUT AT LEAST ONE ENERGIZED WIRE. THE IMPACT WITH THE PERPENDICULAR WIRES PULLED THE AIRCRAFT INTO THE SET OF WIRES THAT PARALLELED THE ROAD, AND THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD AND BLADES SEPARATED FROM THE MAST, AND THE TAILBOOM SEPARATED AT THE MID POINT. THE FUSELAGE CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE, CRUSHING THE LEFT SIDE OF THE COCKPIT AND CABIN. THE PILOT, WHO WAS SEATED IN THE RIGHT PILOT SEAT AND WEARING PROPER PPE, INCLUDING A HELMET, RECEIVED ONLY MINOR INJURIES. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED AND THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE. THE POWERLINES WERE BROKEN AND WRECKAGE SCATTERED INTO THE SUBJECT FIELD AND ADJACENT ROADWAY, DAMAGING THE ELECTRIC GRID COMPONENTS, THE CROP AND THE ROAD SURFACE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.