Incident Overview
A helicopter was conducting a low-altitude flight to allow two passengers to observe their company's fiber optic cables. During the flight, one passenger was recording video of the cables. The video tape was recovered from the wreckage and provided insight into the sequence of events.
Flight and Wire Strike
The video footage shows the helicopter in controlled flight at an altitude of approximately 100 to 150 feet above ground level (AGL). Power lines appear on the video, running perpendicular to the flight path. The helicopter subsequently struck the wires. The pilot did not take any evasive action to change altitude or alter the flight path to avoid contact with the wires.
Loss of Control and Impact
Following the wire strike, the helicopter lost control. The video ends with the impact into a river that ran parallel to the flight path.
Pilot Actions
When the wires came into view on the video tape, the pilot took no evasive action in order to change altitude or the helicopter's flight path to avoid contact with the wires.