Flight Details
The local sightseeing flight departed Prescott to tour the Jerome, Cottonwood, and Verde Rivers areas in Arizona. The pilot was maneuvering through a dry river bed in a hilly area.
Collision with Power Lines
The pilot did not see the power lines until they hit the windshield about level with the top of the instrument panel. Immediately after impact, the nose pitched up and then quickly pitched forward. The pilot estimated that the airspeed was 70 knots and the altitude was 150 feet above ground level (agl).
Emergency Landing
The pilot lowered the collective to enter an autorotation but delayed the flare until passing over a ridgeline. He was able to bleed off most of the airspeed and leveled the skids prior to touchdown. However, the skids dug into soft dirt, and the helicopter pitched forward. The main rotor blades were still at 100 percent revolutions per minute (rpm) when they struck the ground.
Damage
The helicopter rocked back and came to rest upright on the skids. The main rotor blades, mast, firewall, tail boom, and tail rotor drive shaft sustained substantial damage.