Narrative:

Just before XY00 pm (local) we responded to a motor vehicle accident scene on interstate highway ab at mile post #cde. Officers were on scene and acting as incident command. Upon arrival at the scene I performed a 500 ft AGL reconnaissance of the scene, and the area officers had indicated they wanted to use as a landing zone. Using the aircraft's controllable spotlight I swept the area and, seeing no obstacles, I began a stable, steep approach to the landing zone officers were shining flashlights toward. On very short final I saw some wires immediately to my front and passing above me. In attempting to get below them, one telephone wire was cut by a main rotor blade. Landing and shutdown continued uneventfully. Factors contributing to this incident were 1) no lunar illumination, 2) rugged terrain surrounding the scene, 3) inadequate landing zone analysis by those setting up the landing zone, 4) no markers of any sort on the wires crossing the freeway and 5) my inability to see the wires until we were just about to strike them. Corrective measures would include better training for those responsible for setting up landing zones and marking of lines which pass over hwys.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BELL 407 HELI CONTACTS SOME TELEPHONE LINES DURING A NIGHT LNDG EMS MISSION NEAR A MAIN HWY IN ZZZ, UNITED STATES.

Narrative: JUST BEFORE XY00 PM (LCL) WE RESPONDED TO A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT SCENE ON INTERSTATE HWY AB AT MILE POST #CDE. OFFICERS WERE ON SCENE AND ACTING AS INCIDENT COMMAND. UPON ARR AT THE SCENE I PERFORMED A 500 FT AGL RECONNAISSANCE OF THE SCENE, AND THE AREA OFFICERS HAD INDICATED THEY WANTED TO USE AS A LNDG ZONE. USING THE ACFT'S CONTROLLABLE SPOTLIGHT I SWEPT THE AREA AND, SEEING NO OBSTACLES, I BEGAN A STABLE, STEEP APCH TO THE LNDG ZONE OFFICERS WERE SHINING FLASHLIGHTS TOWARD. ON VERY SHORT FINAL I SAW SOME WIRES IMMEDIATELY TO MY FRONT AND PASSING ABOVE ME. IN ATTEMPTING TO GET BELOW THEM, ONE TELEPHONE WIRE WAS CUT BY A MAIN ROTOR BLADE. LNDG AND SHUTDOWN CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT WERE 1) NO LUNAR ILLUMINATION, 2) RUGGED TERRAIN SURROUNDING THE SCENE, 3) INADEQUATE LNDG ZONE ANALYSIS BY THOSE SETTING UP THE LNDG ZONE, 4) NO MARKERS OF ANY SORT ON THE WIRES XING THE FREEWAY AND 5) MY INABILITY TO SEE THE WIRES UNTIL WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO STRIKE THEM. CORRECTIVE MEASURES WOULD INCLUDE BETTER TRAINING FOR THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING UP LNDG ZONES AND MARKING OF LINES WHICH PASS OVER HWYS.

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.