Accident Overview
A helicopter was demolished following an accident that occurred during takeoff from a driveway. The pilot had previously landed to pick up a flagger and transport him to the end of the field. The landing was conducted facing north on a north-south oriented driveway. An overhead electrical line was present along the east side of the driveway.
Sequence of Events
During the takeoff, the pilot first moved the helicopter laterally to the west, then initiated a turn to depart. The pilot believed the helicopter would clear the overhead line; however, the tail rotor struck the wire. The impact caused the tail rotor to fail. Subsequently, the helicopter began to spin uncontrollably. The pilot performed a hovering autorotation in an attempt to manage the descent. During touchdown, while the helicopter was still spinning and moving across the ground, one of the skids failed. The main rotor blades then struck the ground, and the helicopter was subsequently demolished.
Damage
The helicopter sustained catastrophic damage: the tail rotor was severed upon striking the wire; a skid failed during the landing; the main rotor blades impacted the terrain; and the aircraft was destroyed.