What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 29, 2023, helicopter privacy data omitted was performing a 137-agriculture spraying operation on a field south of I70 between e. possum rd and ridge rd. after several east-west passes the helicopter came in contact with high tension power lines that were overtop the field being sprayed. The helicopter severed/broke the two middle lines and crashed. The aircraft came to rest on its right side approximately 300 feet form the impact with the powerline. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. Although there was substantial damage to the rotor blades there was no evidence of rotational scarring. The tail boom had separated from the main wreckage there was no apparent damage to the tail rotor and could be turned by hand with no binding. The tail rotor shaft was broken at the tail separation, but no rotational damage was observed. Accident resulted in pilot fatality.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 29, 2023, HELICOPTER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS PERFORMING A 137-AGRICULTURE SPRAYING OPERATION ON A FIELD SOUTH OF I70 BETWEEN E. POSSUM RD AND RIDGE RD. AFTER SEVERAL EAST-WEST PASSES THE HELICOPTER CAME IN CONTACT WITH HIGH TENSION POWER LINES THAT WERE OVERTOP THE FIELD BEING SPRAYED. THE HELICOPTER SEVERED/BROKE THE TWO MIDDLE LINES AND CRASHED. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET FORM THE IMPACT WITH THE POWERLINE. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR BLADES THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ROTATIONAL SCARRING. THE TAIL BOOM HAD SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE THERE WAS NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE TAIL ROTOR AND COULD BE TURNED BY HAND WITH NO BINDING. THE TAIL ROTOR SHAFT WAS BROKEN AT THE TAIL SEPARATION, BUT NO ROTATIONAL DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED. ACCIDENT RESULTED IN PILOT FATALITY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.