What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The accident happened about 10 miles north of Ulysses KS when a power line strike occurred during helicopter agricultural spray operations. The accident was located in a field approximately 1 mile west of K25 highway and south of county road 1. The helicopter was operating from a portable loading station at the field. The helicopter was eastbound completing a spraying run, struck a power line, became unstable and impacted at a steep angle in a wheat field about 450 feet southeast of the wire strike. The helicopter came to rest facing east, approximately 434 feet east of the two-track field entrance road. A segment of the wire and helicopter debris was found between the accident site and power line right of way. An excerpt from the witness statement described the helicopter made a popping noise (later determined to be from the aircraft contacting the charged power line) at the same time pitching up as if beginning a right turn followed by, two more popping noises then nosing over and descending until impacting the field. The pilot was transported to hospital in serious condition and expired 3 days later. Weather reported from garden city, KS airport, 30 miles NE from the departure point: kgck 181954Z VRB06KT 10SM FEW039 BKN110 21/11 A2990 rmk A02 SLP107 T02060111
As the FAA filed it
THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF ULYSSES KS WHEN A POWER LINE STRIKE OCCURRED DURING HELICOPTER AGRICULTURAL SPRAY OPERATIONS. THE ACCIDENT WAS LOCATED IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE WEST OF K25 HIGHWAY AND SOUTH OF COUNTY ROAD 1. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATING FROM A PORTABLE LOADING STATION AT THE FIELD. THE HELICOPTER WAS EASTBOUND COMPLETING A SPRAYING RUN, STRUCK A POWER LINE, BECAME UNSTABLE AND IMPACTED AT A STEEP ANGLE IN A WHEAT FIELD ABOUT 450 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE WIRE STRIKE. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST FACING EAST, APPROXIMATELY 434 FEET EAST OF THE TWO-TRACK FIELD ENTRANCE ROAD. A SEGMENT OF THE WIRE AND HELICOPTER DEBRIS WAS FOUND BETWEEN THE ACCIDENT SITE AND POWER LINE RIGHT OF WAY. AN EXCERPT FROM THE WITNESS STATEMENT DESCRIBED THE HELICOPTER MADE A POPPING NOISE (LATER DETERMINED TO BE FROM THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTING THE CHARGED POWER LINE) AT THE SAME TIME PITCHING UP AS IF BEGINNING A RIGHT TURN FOLLOWED BY, TWO MORE POPPING NOISES THEN NOSING OVER AND DESCENDING UNTIL IMPACTING THE FIELD. THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL IN SERIOUS CONDITION AND EXPIRED 3 DAYS LATER. WEATHER REPORTED FROM GARDEN CITY, KS AIRPORT, 30 MILES NE FROM THE DEPARTURE POINT: KGCK 181954Z VRB06KT 10SM FEW039 BKN110 21/11 A2990 RMK A02 SLP107 T02060111
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N176SJ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.