Narrative:

On jun/xx/95 I was pilot of the (BH206-biii) helicopter on a flight to pierce co, wisconsin. The purpose of the flight was to fly alone over to a crime scene near diamond bluff, wi, pick up our photographer, and shoot an aerial of the scene for the story. I departed st paul airport about XA30 pm for the 15 min flight. The WX was clear skies, temperature 80 degree F, and the winds were 150 degrees at 8-10 KTS (10-12 mph). When I got to the scene I talked to photographer before landing to see if he had a landing site in mind, as I'd noticed no suitable area except about 2 mi north of him. All the other areas were tree covered and not suitable for a landing. He mentioned that a sheriff's deputy said we could land 'inside the tape,' near his car as he would like to ride along and shoot stills of the scene for their investigation. I flew 3 orbits over the area, looked at the touchdown site, picked an approach and departure path, based on st paul winds, the shape of the area, and other terrain features. The only wire I saw was from a pole near the squad car running east/west to a nearby home. Before landing I remember thinking that I may have to hover towards the north end of the area to takeoff if the deputy was a big guy, and if those trees were tall. (The trees on the south boundary.) with these points and factors in mind, I started a downwind leg over the west side ridge of the valley, watching the landing area I turned onto a final approach path into the site. Everything was normal, until about 20-25 ft above the ground I saw a flash of movement in front and slightly to my right (my 1 O'clock position) and it was a wire. I reacted by pulling power (momentary to 105 percent) and stopped the helicopter in a high hover above another wire 3-4 ft below me. I then saw the wire fall straight down, arc/spark several times as it hit another wire below it. I had felt the 'bump' in the helicopter when the cable broke and as I sat at a hover above this other cable, I strained to feel any abnormal vibrations in the helicopter. Sitting up there at this high hover and feeling the machine is still flying, I started to look around for more wires, I hadn't seen the one I hit, did I miss some others? I looked around, saw none other than the one I was hovering above, then I had to find out if the other end of the broken cable was still hooked onto the helicopter. I could not feel any jerking or tugging in the helicopter as I sat at the hover. I inched the helicopter to the left, trying to feel any tugs as if the other end was still hooked, nothing, moved a few ft sideways, still no tugs, I brought the tail around in a hovering turn to my right so I could see the other end of the cable also on the ground. I think I thanked god and started a slow circular departure, in case something came apart I could try to get into that area, it was the only clear area for a few mi, and now I knew where the wire was. During this 'test flight' I felt nothing out of the ordinary with the helicopter. I got on the radio to photographer and deputy to see if anyone on the ground had been hit and then asked them if they had seen the wire hit the helicopter anywhere other than the skids, they had not. I flew a bit longer and got the helicopter speed up to above cruise speed and still felt nothing unusual. I told photographer to come up the hill and we'd shoot the aerials. While waiting for photographer I got out and looked over the skids, the fuselage for any signs of damage and saw none. I did not shut the ship down at that time. After we shot the aerials, I dropped photo man off at his car and flew back to st paul airport, landed on our pad and shut down. After shut down I noticed several strike marks on both tail rotor blades. Tail rotor blades were dented slightly beyond limits and were replaced per bell helicopter specifications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL OP IN ROTARY WINGED TFC HITS OBSTRUCTION UNMARKED PWR LINE.

Narrative: ON JUN/XX/95 I WAS PLT OF THE (BH206-BIII) HELI ON A FLT TO PIERCE CO, WISCONSIN. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO FLY ALONE OVER TO A CRIME SCENE NEAR DIAMOND BLUFF, WI, PICK UP OUR PHOTOGRAPHER, AND SHOOT AN AERIAL OF THE SCENE FOR THE STORY. I DEPARTED ST PAUL ARPT ABOUT XA30 PM FOR THE 15 MIN FLT. THE WX WAS CLR SKIES, TEMP 80 DEG F, AND THE WINDS WERE 150 DEGS AT 8-10 KTS (10-12 MPH). WHEN I GOT TO THE SCENE I TALKED TO PHOTOGRAPHER BEFORE LNDG TO SEE IF HE HAD A LNDG SITE IN MIND, AS I'D NOTICED NO SUITABLE AREA EXCEPT ABOUT 2 MI N OF HIM. ALL THE OTHER AREAS WERE TREE COVERED AND NOT SUITABLE FOR A LNDG. HE MENTIONED THAT A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY SAID WE COULD LAND 'INSIDE THE TAPE,' NEAR HIS CAR AS HE WOULD LIKE TO RIDE ALONG AND SHOOT STILLS OF THE SCENE FOR THEIR INVESTIGATION. I FLEW 3 ORBITS OVER THE AREA, LOOKED AT THE TOUCHDOWN SITE, PICKED AN APCH AND DEP PATH, BASED ON ST PAUL WINDS, THE SHAPE OF THE AREA, AND OTHER TERRAIN FEATURES. THE ONLY WIRE I SAW WAS FROM A POLE NEAR THE SQUAD CAR RUNNING E/W TO A NEARBY HOME. BEFORE LNDG I REMEMBER THINKING THAT I MAY HAVE TO HOVER TOWARDS THE N END OF THE AREA TO TKOF IF THE DEPUTY WAS A BIG GUY, AND IF THOSE TREES WERE TALL. (THE TREES ON THE S BOUNDARY.) WITH THESE POINTS AND FACTORS IN MIND, I STARTED A DOWNWIND LEG OVER THE W SIDE RIDGE OF THE VALLEY, WATCHING THE LNDG AREA I TURNED ONTO A FINAL APCH PATH INTO THE SITE. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL, UNTIL ABOUT 20-25 FT ABOVE THE GND I SAW A FLASH OF MOVEMENT IN FRONT AND SLIGHTLY TO MY R (MY 1 O'CLOCK POS) AND IT WAS A WIRE. I REACTED BY PULLING PWR (MOMENTARY TO 105 PERCENT) AND STOPPED THE HELI IN A HIGH HOVER ABOVE ANOTHER WIRE 3-4 FT BELOW ME. I THEN SAW THE WIRE FALL STRAIGHT DOWN, ARC/SPARK SEVERAL TIMES AS IT HIT ANOTHER WIRE BELOW IT. I HAD FELT THE 'BUMP' IN THE HELI WHEN THE CABLE BROKE AND AS I SAT AT A HOVER ABOVE THIS OTHER CABLE, I STRAINED TO FEEL ANY ABNORMAL VIBRATIONS IN THE HELI. SITTING UP THERE AT THIS HIGH HOVER AND FEELING THE MACHINE IS STILL FLYING, I STARTED TO LOOK AROUND FOR MORE WIRES, I HADN'T SEEN THE ONE I HIT, DID I MISS SOME OTHERS? I LOOKED AROUND, SAW NONE OTHER THAN THE ONE I WAS HOVERING ABOVE, THEN I HAD TO FIND OUT IF THE OTHER END OF THE BROKEN CABLE WAS STILL HOOKED ONTO THE HELI. I COULD NOT FEEL ANY JERKING OR TUGGING IN THE HELI AS I SAT AT THE HOVER. I INCHED THE HELI TO THE L, TRYING TO FEEL ANY TUGS AS IF THE OTHER END WAS STILL HOOKED, NOTHING, MOVED A FEW FT SIDEWAYS, STILL NO TUGS, I BROUGHT THE TAIL AROUND IN A HOVERING TURN TO MY R SO I COULD SEE THE OTHER END OF THE CABLE ALSO ON THE GND. I THINK I THANKED GOD AND STARTED A SLOW CIRCULAR DEP, IN CASE SOMETHING CAME APART I COULD TRY TO GET INTO THAT AREA, IT WAS THE ONLY CLR AREA FOR A FEW MI, AND NOW I KNEW WHERE THE WIRE WAS. DURING THIS 'TEST FLT' I FELT NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WITH THE HELI. I GOT ON THE RADIO TO PHOTOGRAPHER AND DEPUTY TO SEE IF ANYONE ON THE GND HAD BEEN HIT AND THEN ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD SEEN THE WIRE HIT THE HELI ANYWHERE OTHER THAN THE SKIDS, THEY HAD NOT. I FLEW A BIT LONGER AND GOT THE HELI SPD UP TO ABOVE CRUISE SPD AND STILL FELT NOTHING UNUSUAL. I TOLD PHOTOGRAPHER TO COME UP THE HILL AND WE'D SHOOT THE AERIALS. WHILE WAITING FOR PHOTOGRAPHER I GOT OUT AND LOOKED OVER THE SKIDS, THE FUSELAGE FOR ANY SIGNS OF DAMAGE AND SAW NONE. I DID NOT SHUT THE SHIP DOWN AT THAT TIME. AFTER WE SHOT THE AERIALS, I DROPPED PHOTO MAN OFF AT HIS CAR AND FLEW BACK TO ST PAUL ARPT, LANDED ON OUR PAD AND SHUT DOWN. AFTER SHUT DOWN I NOTICED SEVERAL STRIKE MARKS ON BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADES. TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE DENTED SLIGHTLY BEYOND LIMITS AND WERE REPLACED PER BELL HELI SPECIFICATIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.