What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
March 18, 2024 a 14 CFR part 133 aerial tree trimming operation was taking place. A morning preflight was conducted and safety meeting conducted with PIC and ground support personnell. Multiple flights had taken place on that day and PIC and crew were executing an afternoon, end of day operation. PIC was trimming in a northerly direction along powerline when the powerline made a hard easterly turn. PIC reported this was a challenging operation due to proximety of power line to tree limbs. PIC reported at the time of the event the helicopter was in smooth operation well above the tree tops with the saw approximately 60 feet above ground when an audible "explosion" was heard by PIC followed by a decent. PIC did not observe any instrumentation indication or was not aware of any audible warnings, instead scanned the terrain and attemted to control the helicopter to the most favorable area to land. The helicopter pitched forward and slightly rolled to the right and began contacting trees during uncontrolled decent and impacted the gound inverted. Ground support personnel observing the operation stated in a written statement that just prior to the event the helicopter engine was heard sounding normal and then went silent and impact sound was heard.
No mechanicals irregularities have been noted at this time
As the FAA filed it
MARCH 18, 2024 A 14 CFR PART 133 AERIAL TREE TRIMMING OPERATION WAS TAKING PLACE. A MORNING PREFLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED AND SAFETY MEETING CONDUCTED WITH PIC AND GROUND SUPPORT PERSONNELL. MULTIPLE FLIGHTS HAD TAKEN PLACE ON THAT DAY AND PIC AND CREW WERE EXECUTING AN AFTERNOON, END OF DAY OPERATION. PIC WAS TRIMMING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION ALONG POWERLINE WHEN THE POWERLINE MADE A HARD EASTERLY TURN. PIC REPORTED THIS WAS A CHALLENGING OPERATION DUE TO PROXIMETY OF POWER LINE TO TREE LIMBS. PIC REPORTED AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT THE HELICOPTER WAS IN SMOOTH OPERATION WELL ABOVE THE TREE TOPS WITH THE SAW APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET ABOVE GROUND WHEN AN AUDIBLE "EXPLOSION" WAS HEARD BY PIC FOLLOWED BY A DECENT. PIC DID NOT OBSERVE ANY INSTRUMENTATION INDICATION OR WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY AUDIBLE WARNINGS, INSTEAD SCANNED THE TERRAIN AND ATTEMTED TO CONTROL THE HELICOPTER TO THE MOST FAVORABLE AREA TO LAND. THE HELICOPTER PITCHED FORWARD AND SLIGHTLY ROLLED TO THE RIGHT AND BEGAN CONTACTING TREES DURING UNCONTROLLED DECENT AND IMPACTED THE GOUND INVERTED. GROUND SUPPORT PERSONNEL OBSERVING THE OPERATION STATED IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT THAT JUST PRIOR TO THE EVENT THE HELICOPTER ENGINE WAS HEARD SOUNDING NORMAL AND THEN WENT SILENT AND IMPACT SOUND WAS HEARD.
NO MECHANICALS IRREGULARITIES HAVE BEEN NOTED AT THIS TIME
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.