Incident Overview
An agricultural helicopter was involved in an accident while conducting aerial pesticide application. The helicopter had been flying for approximately three hours before the incident occurred. The pilot, who had accumulated 10,000 flight hours, was completing a spraying pass over a pasture and was trimming the edges of the area when the helicopter struck high-tension wires during a pull-up maneuver.
Sequence of Events
According to evidence found at the accident site, the tail boom of the helicopter struck the top wire of a high-tension power line. The impact caused the tail boom to separate from the helicopter in flight. Following the separation, the helicopter descended in an uncontrolled manner and impacted the ground.
Wire Markings
The high-tension wires involved in the accident were not equipped with fixed aerial obstruction features, such as orange marker balls or similar visual warnings. The absence of these markers was noted in the investigation.