What happened
During a power line inspection patrol intended to identify potential maintenance needs, a helicopter struck power lines. The aircraft was operating at speeds between 40 and 50 knots, positioned on the right side of the wires. The flight profile was designed so that the main rotor remained a few feet above the highest wire without overlapping it, allowing the observer in the left seat an optimal view of the infrastructure.
The incident occurred at 07:58 under clear skies with no cloud cover. At the time of the impact, the sun was at an altitude of approximately 24 degrees above the horizon with an azimuth of 78 degrees east of north. The area involved a junction where two 3/8 inch diameter galvanized steel static cables, which did not have associated transmission wires, joined northbound galvanized steel static cables that did contain associated transmission cables at a 30-degree angle.