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Pilot of an MD500 helicopter struck, and was caught by telephone wires while carrying a government law enforcement officer along river looking for fishing poachers at 50 ft AGL. There was no damage to the helicopter or occupants.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 451602 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199910 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : pak.airport |
| State Reference | HI |
| Altitude | agl single value : 50 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | MD Helicopter 500/C/D/E/L |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 451602 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | observation : passenger other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : gov't law officers |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : acft restrained by wires other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : regained aircraft control other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
1 pilot and 1 government (department of law enforcement) officer aboard the MD500D helicopter. Checking for illegal fish traps along river banks. Low level. Very light rain droplets on windshield. Airspeed approximately 10 mph. Observed power lines in distance and was preparing to climb over them. I never saw the thin telephone lines (4) in front of the power lines. 2 lines broke immediately and the other 2 became tangled on my left skid. After several unsuccessful attempts to free myself I purposely backed up to break the lines. We landed and cut the lines, checked for damage and returned to the airport 1 mi away. No damage was sustained to the aircraft. Neither the telephone lines nor the power lines have any reflective markers on them, nor are they depicted on the VFR sectional.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF AN MD500 HELI STRUCK, AND WAS CAUGHT BY TELEPHONE WIRES WHILE CARRYING A GOV LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ALONG RIVER LOOKING FOR FISHING POACHERS AT 50 FT AGL. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE HELI OR OCCUPANTS.
Narrative: 1 PLT AND 1 GOV (DEPT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT) OFFICER ABOARD THE MD500D HELI. CHKING FOR ILLEGAL FISH TRAPS ALONG RIVER BANKS. LOW LEVEL. VERY LIGHT RAIN DROPLETS ON WINDSHIELD. AIRSPD APPROX 10 MPH. OBSERVED PWR LINES IN DISTANCE AND WAS PREPARING TO CLB OVER THEM. I NEVER SAW THE THIN TELEPHONE LINES (4) IN FRONT OF THE PWR LINES. 2 LINES BROKE IMMEDIATELY AND THE OTHER 2 BECAME TANGLED ON MY L SKID. AFTER SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO FREE MYSELF I PURPOSELY BACKED UP TO BREAK THE LINES. WE LANDED AND CUT THE LINES, CHKED FOR DAMAGE AND RETURNED TO THE ARPT 1 MI AWAY. NO DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE ACFT. NEITHER THE TELEPHONE LINES NOR THE PWR LINES HAVE ANY REFLECTIVE MARKERS ON THEM, NOR ARE THEY DEPICTED ON THE VFR SECTIONAL.
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.