What happened
A northbound EMS helicopter was flying toward its landing area when it struck an unmarked static wire at an altitude of 105 feet. The impact caused the tail boom to separate from the fuselage, leading to an uncontrollable descent. The aircraft struck the ground in an inverted position. The accident resulted in one fatality.
At the time of the accident, witnesses reported that the night was dark and fog was beginning to form. Although numerous emergency vehicles with red and blue flashing lights were present in the area, no abrupt maneuvers were observed by witnesses prior to the aircraft striking the wire. Following the accident, the pilot stated he had no memory of the event.
Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot had not performed a reconnaissance of the landing area before arrival. Furthermore, the pilot had not communicated that the landing area had been identified at the time the wire strike occurred. The investigation also noted that neither the pilot nor the hospital communications coordinator responsible for the flight request had sought information regarding potential hazards in the proposed landing zone.