SEA94LA069

Just after a lineman released the helicopter tow line from a power line that was being positioned on a power pole, the helicopter tow line blew back into the power pole guy wires. Instead of releasing the tow line at that time, the pilot attempted to maneuver the tow line away from the guy wires. During this process the pilot lost sight of the tow line, and the tow line engaged one of the guy wires. The helicopter was then pulled into a step bank by the engaged tow line, and the pilot's release of the tow line came too late for him to complete a recovery prior to impacting the terrain.

On February 28, 1994, approximately 1210 mountain standard time (MST), a Bell/Soloy 47G-3B-1 helicopter, N4082J, impacted the terrain while stringing power lines about 10 miles west of Hanksville, Utah. The airline transport rated pilot, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, received minor injuries, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The FAR Part 133 flight, which had departed a nearby refueling pad about 15 minutes earlier, was in visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. No flight plan had been filed, and there was no report of an ELT activation.

According to the pilot, who had just pulled a power line across five or six power poles, when the lineman who was working on the power pole released the helicopter tow line from the power line, the tow line was blown back into the power pole guy wires. At that point, the pilot "...moved the aircraft left and aft to get away from the wire..." but did not release the tow line from the helicopter. The pilot then lost sight of the tow line, and according to witnesses, the hook on the end of the line engaged one of the power pole guy wires. The helicopter then experienced a rapid roll to the left, and the pilot electronically released the tow line. Soon after the tow line was released, the helicopter impacted the terrain.