What happened
The incident occurred while the pilot was operating a helicopter in the vicinity of a hill. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was engaged in a cleanup swath operation near the bottom of the terrain feature. During this phase of flight, the helicopter collided with overhead wires.
The pilot later reported that he did not see the wires prior to impact. He explained that his head position had been adjusted specifically to reduce the effect of sun glare, which likely contributed to his failure to detect the obstruction. Following the collision, the pilot momentarily lost control of the helicopter. However, he was able to regain control and successfully landed the aircraft past the location of the wires.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the collision and the pilot's account of events. Key findings included:
- Helicopter collides with wires during a low-level maneuver near terrain.
- The pilot failed to see the wires due to head positioning intended to reduce sun glare.
- Momentary loss of control occurred immediately after impact, but was recovered before landing.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to this incident was the pilot's failure to see and avoid the wires. This oversight was directly linked to the pilot's method of managing sun glare by altering his head position, which compromised his situational awareness of the immediate airspace.