Narrative:

I thought I felt and heard a small thump. I asked the mechanic 'if he felt or heard anything.' he said he was not sure. We decided, just to be safe, we would find a place to land. At this time I felt no abnormal flight characteristics and everything seemed fine. All engine and aircraft gauges and instruments were normal. We landed without any problem or anything at all feeling unusual. I got out of the helicopter and looked rearward to see we had lost our vertical fin. The FAA and NTSB were notified that night. I also called the NTSB the next morning. It was discovered that we had hit a static wire which crossed a valley. We discovered we hit the right skid tube and the vertical fin approximately 1 1/2 inches from the bottom of the vertical fin. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying bell 206 jet ranger. The ceo of his company fired him, but the flight department manager is still providing the reporter with excellent references. There were no hazard markings on the wires which are estimated to be between 400-600 ft AGL. The FAA is trying to give the reporter a 30 day suspension, not for low flying, but for dropping something from his aircraft that might endanger someone on the ground. The reporter did not fly over the only house visible in a very isolated area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BELL 206 JET RANGER PLT CUT OFF PART OF HIS VERT FIN WHEN HE HIT A STATIC PWRLINE. ERROR ADMITTED. ACFT DAMAGE VERT FIN.

Narrative: I THOUGHT I FELT AND HEARD A SMALL THUMP. I ASKED THE MECH 'IF HE FELT OR HEARD ANYTHING.' HE SAID HE WAS NOT SURE. WE DECIDED, JUST TO BE SAFE, WE WOULD FIND A PLACE TO LAND. AT THIS TIME I FELT NO ABNORMAL FLT CHARACTERISTICS AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. ALL ENG AND ACFT GAUGES AND INSTS WERE NORMAL. WE LANDED WITHOUT ANY PROB OR ANYTHING AT ALL FEELING UNUSUAL. I GOT OUT OF THE HELI AND LOOKED REARWARD TO SEE WE HAD LOST OUR VERT FIN. THE FAA AND NTSB WERE NOTIFIED THAT NIGHT. I ALSO CALLED THE NTSB THE NEXT MORNING. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD HIT A STATIC WIRE WHICH CROSSED A VALLEY. WE DISCOVERED WE HIT THE R SKID TUBE AND THE VERT FIN APPROX 1 1/2 INCHES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VERT FIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING BELL 206 JET RANGER. THE CEO OF HIS COMPANY FIRED HIM, BUT THE FLT DEPT MGR IS STILL PROVIDING THE RPTR WITH EXCELLENT REFS. THERE WERE NO HAZARD MARKINGS ON THE WIRES WHICH ARE ESTIMATED TO BE BTWN 400-600 FT AGL. THE FAA IS TRYING TO GIVE THE RPTR A 30 DAY SUSPENSION, NOT FOR LOW FLYING, BUT FOR DROPPING SOMETHING FROM HIS ACFT THAT MIGHT ENDANGER SOMEONE ON THE GND. THE RPTR DID NOT FLY OVER THE ONLY HOUSE VISIBLE IN A VERY ISOLATED AREA.

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.