Narrative:

Date of incident, I had flown about 5 hours since XA00 with a cameraman filming an off-road truck race through mountainous terrain 4500-7000 ft MSL, frequently below 100 ft AGL and close to numerous power lines in the area. At the time of incident, XF45, I was hovering facing west, south of power lines that ran east/west. The cameraman was filming action on the dirt road below the power lines out of the back right door of the helicopter. I was holding about 100 ft AGL with less than 50 ft lateral separation from the lines. The afternoon sun was very low in the sky due to mountains to the west. The sun came through the power lines, through my crazed plexiglas windshield and was obstructing my view of the lines. A 10-12 KT left crosswind (about 10 O'clock position) was present. I incorrectly felt I was holding lateral separation from the lines against the crosswind. I was desensitized to their close proximity as I had flown extensively around them earlier on that date and during previous similar races. Although my cameraman said nothing, there was effort on my part to get as close to the action as possible. A lower hover would have dusted the course. Without seeing the impact about to occur, I struck and completely severed 2 of the 3 parallel lines with the advancing rotor blades. I had drifted right and slightly down into them. The ship remained flying with slight increased vertical vibration. I accomplished a normal landing for safety inspection. Ship inspection revealed minor grooving on the leading edges of the blades in the outboard 4 ft of the spar length. In addition to the listed physical factors, I feel that fatigue was a factor from hours of previous aggressive flying. Also I was more concerned with getting the shot than maintaining safe separation from the threat of the lines. After consulting a manufacturer's service center regarding the damage, I ferried the ship about 35 mi back to the metropolitan area for complete inspection. Aircraft was a 1976 bell 206B-ii. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: mission was a part 91 photo flight. Pilot was operating in shadows and occasional sunlight causing outside visual scan to be exhaustive. He had a vip along, and air/ground communication with production crew was in progress. Reporter's experience in operation (race action) allowed him to develop a comfortable pattern in which he was totally engrossed, when the helicopter struck the power lines.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE HOVERING OVER OFF-ROAD RACES, HELI STRUCK PWR LINES.

Narrative: DATE OF INCIDENT, I HAD FLOWN ABOUT 5 HRS SINCE XA00 WITH A CAMERAMAN FILMING AN OFF-ROAD TRUCK RACE THROUGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN 4500-7000 FT MSL, FREQUENTLY BELOW 100 FT AGL AND CLOSE TO NUMEROUS PWR LINES IN THE AREA. AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT, XF45, I WAS HOVERING FACING W, S OF PWR LINES THAT RAN E/W. THE CAMERAMAN WAS FILMING ACTION ON THE DIRT ROAD BELOW THE PWR LINES OUT OF THE BACK R DOOR OF THE HELI. I WAS HOLDING ABOUT 100 FT AGL WITH LESS THAN 50 FT LATERAL SEPARATION FROM THE LINES. THE AFTERNOON SUN WAS VERY LOW IN THE SKY DUE TO MOUNTAINS TO THE W. THE SUN CAME THROUGH THE PWR LINES, THROUGH MY CRAZED PLEXIGLAS WINDSHIELD AND WAS OBSTRUCTING MY VIEW OF THE LINES. A 10-12 KT L XWIND (ABOUT 10 O'CLOCK POS) WAS PRESENT. I INCORRECTLY FELT I WAS HOLDING LATERAL SEPARATION FROM THE LINES AGAINST THE XWIND. I WAS DESENSITIZED TO THEIR CLOSE PROX AS I HAD FLOWN EXTENSIVELY AROUND THEM EARLIER ON THAT DATE AND DURING PREVIOUS SIMILAR RACES. ALTHOUGH MY CAMERAMAN SAID NOTHING, THERE WAS EFFORT ON MY PART TO GET AS CLOSE TO THE ACTION AS POSSIBLE. A LOWER HOVER WOULD HAVE DUSTED THE COURSE. WITHOUT SEEING THE IMPACT ABOUT TO OCCUR, I STRUCK AND COMPLETELY SEVERED 2 OF THE 3 PARALLEL LINES WITH THE ADVANCING ROTOR BLADES. I HAD DRIFTED R AND SLIGHTLY DOWN INTO THEM. THE SHIP REMAINED FLYING WITH SLIGHT INCREASED VERT VIBRATION. I ACCOMPLISHED A NORMAL LNDG FOR SAFETY INSPECTION. SHIP INSPECTION REVEALED MINOR GROOVING ON THE LEADING EDGES OF THE BLADES IN THE OUTBOARD 4 FT OF THE SPAR LENGTH. IN ADDITION TO THE LISTED PHYSICAL FACTORS, I FEEL THAT FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR FROM HRS OF PREVIOUS AGGRESSIVE FLYING. ALSO I WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH GETTING THE SHOT THAN MAINTAINING SAFE SEPARATION FROM THE THREAT OF THE LINES. AFTER CONSULTING A MANUFACTURER'S SVC CTR REGARDING THE DAMAGE, I FERRIED THE SHIP ABOUT 35 MI BACK TO THE METROPOLITAN AREA FOR COMPLETE INSPECTION. ACFT WAS A 1976 BELL 206B-II. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: MISSION WAS A PART 91 PHOTO FLT. PLT WAS OPERATING IN SHADOWS AND OCCASIONAL SUNLIGHT CAUSING OUTSIDE VISUAL SCAN TO BE EXHAUSTIVE. HE HAD A VIP ALONG, AND AIR/GND COM WITH PRODUCTION CREW WAS IN PROGRESS. RPTR'S EXPERIENCE IN OP (RACE ACTION) ALLOWED HIM TO DEVELOP A COMFORTABLE PATTERN IN WHICH HE WAS TOTALLY ENGROSSED, WHEN THE HELI STRUCK THE PWR LINES.

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.