What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During the last load of the day, the pilot attempted to finish dispensing near the edge of the field. The pilot was aware of both the larger high tension powerlines and the adjacent smaller powerlines. The pilot's focus was avoiding the large powerlines and misjudged the distance from the smaller powerline. The helicopter struck the smaller powerline with the rotor blades, wrapping the line around the mast. The pilot maneuvered into the flare until the powerline took tension and separated the mast and transmission. The helicopter impacted the ground and snowballed to a stop. The pilot exited the helicopter and secured the fuel and electrical.
As the FAA filed it
DURING THE LAST LOAD OF THE DAY, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO FINISH DISPENSING NEAR THE EDGE OF THE FIELD. THE PILOT WAS AWARE OF BOTH THE LARGER HIGH TENSION POWERLINES AND THE ADJACENT SMALLER POWERLINES. THE PILOT'S FOCUS WAS AVOIDING THE LARGE POWERLINES AND MISJUDGED THE DISTANCE FROM THE SMALLER POWERLINE. THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE SMALLER POWERLINE WITH THE ROTOR BLADES, WRAPPING THE LINE AROUND THE MAST. THE PILOT MANEUVERED INTO THE FLARE UNTIL THE POWERLINE TOOK TENSION AND SEPARATED THE MAST AND TRANSMISSION. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND AND SNOWBALLED TO A STOP. THE PILOT EXITED THE HELICOPTER AND SECURED THE FUEL AND ELECTRICAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.