SEA96LA106

While flying at approximately 40 to 50 feet above ground level and 100 knots, the helicopter struck a power line. The pilot stated to state troopers after the accident that following the wire strike, 'he had side to side control but did not have up and down control.' The pilot stated on his accident report that he performed 'an emergency landing in rough terrain with substantial resulting damage.' He reported that he had not seen the wire the helicopter had struck.

On May 31, 1996, at approximately 1600 mountain daylight time, a Hughes 369HS, N444GJ, struck a powerline and crashed near the intersection of U.S. highway 78 and Oregon state highway 95, approximately 19 nautical miles southwest of Arock, Oregon. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The aircraft was operated under 14 CFR 91 from Winnemucca, Nevada with an intended destination of Baker City, Oregon. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed.

The pilot reported that he was flying at approximately 50 feet above ground level in order to reduce the risk of mid-air collision with military aircraft on military training routes traversing his route of flight. According to the pilot, "The strike occurred . . . on a stepped upslope following a gradual downslope where the power line and supporting pole were backgrounded against a non-contrasting hillside." He stated on his NTSB accident report that following the wire strike, he performed "an emergency landing in rough terrain with substantial resulting damage."

An Oregon State Police report indicated that the pilot told state troopers he had been flying "at about power pole height and traveling at 100 knots" and that he "did not see the last power line across in front of him." According to the report, the pilot also told state troopers that following the wire strike, "he had side to side control but did not have up and down control." The state police report's description of the accident scene noted that the power poles were approximately 40 feet tall, running east to west, and stated: "The scene indicates that the aircraft was [northbound] at an elevation of 35' to 40' in relation to the terrain...The aircraft hooked the power line pulling the line north to the point that the power line broke." The report also noted that the helicopter wreckage contained several rub marks, one of which "appeared to be an area that was in contact with the power line", as well as a section of power line wrapped around a skid.