ERA19TA204

The pilot and two passengers were on a sightseeing flight. The helicopter entered a river basin that the pilot had previously flown through and rounded a bend. The pilot then saw unmarked wires that spanned the riverand tried to fly under the wires; however, the helicopter's main rotor struck the lowest wire. The helicopter then descended and came to rest on its right side in the river. The wires were about 50 ft above the river and were not depicted on the visual flight rules sectional chart. The pilot said that he had not previously noticed the wires but that he was flying at a lower altitude than on previous flights and "was too low in a place I shouldn't have been." The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

On June 29, 2019, about 1140 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R44 helicopter, N883TY, was substantially damaged when it collided with a telephone line then a river while maneuvering near Parsons, West Virginia. The private pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries, and a second passenger sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Ali Co. under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that originated about 15 minutes earlier from a private residence in Elgon, West Virginia. According to the pilot, he fueled the helicopter and then flew to a private residence to pick up the passengers for a sightseeing flight. He stated that he "went into the river basin," rounded a bend, and observed several unmarked wires spanning the river. He attempted to descend below the wires; however, the main rotor struck the lowest wire. He reported that he had flown along the Cheat River before and had typically been above the wires, but had not previously noticed the wires that the helicopter struck. He stated that he "was too low in a place I shouldn't have been." The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the helicopter came to rest on its right side in about 5 ft of water with a telephone cable wrapped around the main rotor. The tail rotor was sheared off and the tail boom was located about 50 ft downriver from the main wreckage. The inspector reported that the wires were about 50 ft above the river. According to FAA airman records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for rotorcraft-helicopter. His most recent FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on January 21, 2019. The pilot reported 668.6 hours in the accident helicopter make and model. According to FAA airworthiness records, the helicopter was manufactured in 2014. The helicopter's most recent annual inspection was completed on May 15, 2019. At that time, the airframe and engine had accumulated 781 total hours of operation. The helicopter had flown 22 hours since that inspection. Examination of the electrical transmission and telephone wires revealed that they were not equipped with spherical markers. Review of aeronautical charting information revealed that the wires were not depicted on the visual flight rules Sectional Chart. Robinson Helicopter Safety Notice SN-16 advises pilots to constantly be on alert for power lines because "flying into wires, cables, and other objects is by far the number one cause of fatal accidents in helicopters" and to "always maintain at least 500 feet AGL, except during take-off and landing."