Accident
A helicopter was destroyed when it impacted power lines and the ground while engaged in filming for a motion picture. The pilot and one passenger sustained serious injuries, and one passenger sustained fatal injuries.
Investigation
The film from the onboard motion picture camera was developed and examined by the National Transportation Safety Board's Vehicle Recorder Division. The video showed several scenes of a car traveling on a highway. In the final moments of the last recorded scene, the helicopter was traveling parallel to the highway at an estimated speed of 50 to 60 miles per hour and an altitude of 30 to 50 feet above the ground. No evidence of any avoidance maneuver or other pilot action was present in the recording prior to its end.
Local authorities confirmed that at the accident scene, power lines that ran perpendicular to the road were severed. The height of these wires was estimated to be about 50 feet.
Findings
Examination of the aircraft revealed no anomalies in the airframe, flight controls, or engine that could be determined to have existed prior to the accident.