Incident Overview
A helicopter engaged in a power line patrol encountered an unexpected control issue while flying along the west side of a power line from south to north. The pilot was maintaining an altitude between 75 and 100 feet above ground level (AGL) at an airspeed of 20 to 30 knots, with a tail wind of 8 to 10 knots.
Sequence of Events
While descending down a ridge, the helicopter began a slow yaw to the right. The pilot reported that full application of the left pedal was ineffective, and the yaw continued. To manage the rate of turn, the pilot reduced the collective pitch, but this caused the helicopter to descend toward the power lines. In response, the pilot increased collective and applied right cyclic to avoid the wires.
After the helicopter completed two or three full rotations, the pilot reduced power and collective, initiating an autorotative descent. During the landing in a wooded area, the helicopter touched down hard. A post-impact fire subsequently destroyed the fuselage from station 164 forward.
Conclusion
The incident resulted in a hard landing and fire, with the fuselage forward of station 164 being consumed by flames. No further details about the helicopter, occupants, or injuries were provided in the source.