Accident Overview
Approximately one minute before the accident, the pilot contacted the tower at Norton Air Force Base to request clearance through their traffic area. The pilot initially reported being at 300 feet AGL, then seconds later transmitted that he was at 100 feet over the freeway. The request was approved at or below 2,700 feet MSL while within the control zone.
The helicopter first contacted wires at 100 feet AGL. It then descended into a second wire at 80 feet and a guy wire at 60 feet. The elevation at the site was 2,400 feet MSL. The location was about 11 miles east of Norton Air Force Base in uncontrolled airspace.
Flight Details
Shortly after takeoff, at the request of the front seat passenger, the pilot's planned route of flight was changed. The pilot stated that he was aware of wires in the area and had slowed to 60 knots and turned the landing light on in order to maintain his visual lookout.
Environmental Conditions
Weather at Norton Air Force Base was reported as sky partly obscured, visibility 1.5 miles in fog.