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Helicopter pilot struck a power line wire during initial climb after takeoff from a remote area. No aircraft damage.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 313492 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199508 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ecs |
| State Reference | WY |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 40 agl bound upper : 50 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 12400 flight time type : 135 |
| ASRS Report | 313492 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I departed with just myself on board. The elevation was about 5800 ft, and the outside air temperature was about 80 degrees. The wind was out of the southwest about 12-15 KTS, I was the only person onboard. It was a warm day, and with the high altitude, I could barely maintain a hover. I used the effective translational lift from the outside wind plus my forward airspeed and was in effective translational lift quite rapidly. This effective translational lift helped me climb faster. The helicopter didn't climb nearly as fast as I am used to, because I have flown it mostly at low elevations. I was facing the sun on departure, and with the ground terrain around I didn't see the power line until just when I hit it, and it was too late then. The power line was struck just above the skid and snapped off immediately. I landed the helicopter right away to check for any damage, and couldn't find any damage to the helicopter. I wasn't hurt, and fortunately nobody on the ground was either.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HELI PLT STRUCK A PWR LINE WIRE DURING INITIAL CLB AFTER TKOF FROM A REMOTE AREA. NO ACFT DAMAGE.
Narrative: I DEPARTED WITH JUST MYSELF ON BOARD. THE ELEVATION WAS ABOUT 5800 FT, AND THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS ABOUT 80 DEGS. THE WIND WAS OUT OF THE SW ABOUT 12-15 KTS, I WAS THE ONLY PERSON ONBOARD. IT WAS A WARM DAY, AND WITH THE HIGH ALT, I COULD BARELY MAINTAIN A HOVER. I USED THE EFFECTIVE TRANSLATIONAL LIFT FROM THE OUTSIDE WIND PLUS MY FORWARD AIRSPD AND WAS IN EFFECTIVE TRANSLATIONAL LIFT QUITE RAPIDLY. THIS EFFECTIVE TRANSLATIONAL LIFT HELPED ME CLB FASTER. THE HELI DIDN'T CLB NEARLY AS FAST AS I AM USED TO, BECAUSE I HAVE FLOWN IT MOSTLY AT LOW ELEVATIONS. I WAS FACING THE SUN ON DEP, AND WITH THE GND TERRAIN AROUND I DIDN'T SEE THE PWR LINE UNTIL JUST WHEN I HIT IT, AND IT WAS TOO LATE THEN. THE PWR LINE WAS STRUCK JUST ABOVE THE SKID AND SNAPPED OFF IMMEDIATELY. I LANDED THE HELI RIGHT AWAY TO CHK FOR ANY DAMAGE, AND COULDN'T FIND ANY DAMAGE TO THE HELI. I WASN'T HURT, AND FORTUNATELY NOBODY ON THE GND WAS EITHER.
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.