What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was engaged in a sight seeing flight with a passenger sitting in the passenger seat with the side door open. The pilot was flying low over Ririe reservoir in Idaho and failed to see and avoid charted powerlines that crossed the reservoir. The pilot subsequently struck the powerlines below the main rotor blades causing the aircraft to impact the frozen reservoir destroying the aircraft. The pilot suffered fatal injuries. The passenger suffered serious injuries. It appears the pilot was qualified in the operation of the aircraft and the aircraft in an airworthy condition at the time of the accident.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS ENGAGED IN A SIGHT SEEING FLIGHT WITH A PASSENGER SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WITH THE SIDE DOOR OPEN. THE PILOT WAS FLYING LOW OVER RIRIE RESERVOIR IN IDAHO AND FAILED TO SEE AND AVOID CHARTED POWERLINES THAT CROSSED THE RESERVOIR. THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY STRUCK THE POWERLINES BELOW THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO IMPACT THE FROZEN RESERVOIR DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES. THE PASSENGER SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES. IT APPEARS THE PILOT WAS QUALIFIED IN THE OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT IN AN AIRWORTHY CONDITION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.