SEA95LA112

The pilot stated that he was returning from aerial application operations when he elected to look over the next field he was going to spray. He said his intent was to fly around a house on the west side of the field and then drop down to fly parallel to the power lines oriented east-west between two fields. As he banked around the house and flew east into the sun, he did not see the house's power pole and associated service line. The rotorcraft impacted the service line approximately 20 feet AGL and impacted the ground 150 feet further east.

On June 4, 1995, approximately 0818 hours mountain daylight time (mdt), a Hughes 269B, N9474F, was destroyed when it collided with terrain immediately after impacting power lines while maneuvering near Caldwell, Idaho. The commercial pilot/owner sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was engaged in the application of furodan dimetholade, was to have been operated under 14CFR137, and originated from a site near the accident approximately 0810.

The pilot stated that he had completed an application run and was returning to the loading site, when he elected to survey the next field to be sprayed. He stated that his intent was to fly around the house located west of the intended fields and to "drop down to fly parallel to the power lines that were running east and west between the two fields." As he banked around the house into an easterly heading into the sun, he did not see the north-south power lines in his flight path. The pilot reported that the power line pole servicing the house was obstructed by trees (refer to pilots diagram, NTSB Form 6120.1/2).

The pilot reported impacting the power line about 20 feet above ground at an estimated speed of 50 mph. On site examination by an FAA inspector determined that the rotorcraft impacted the ground approximately 150 feet east of the wire strike.