Incident Overview
A medical service helicopter collided with a 649-foot radio tower while en route to its home base after completing a patient drop-off. The operator reported that the flight was following a newly established route, which had been implemented in response to local noise complaints.
Damage Examination
Examination of the helicopter's rotor system revealed several indentations along the leading edges of two main rotor blades. Corresponding fresh mirroring indentations were observed at the 480-foot level of the steel tower structure. No mechanical problems were discovered during the inspection of the helicopter.
Aftermath
The collision caused damage to both the helicopter and the radio tower. The operator has not disclosed any further details regarding the status of the flight crew or the aircraft.