What happened
On August 22, 2013, a McDonnell Douglas Heli Co 369FF, registration N975BW, was performing electrical power line construction near Reese, Michigan. During the operation, a lineman was positioned outside on the helicopter skid to attach a fiber shoe to a tower arm, while a wire was temporarily suspended by a hoist.
While the aircraft was hovering approximately 200 feet above the ground, the hoist slipped, causing the wire to fall onto the top of the helicopter's skid. This event caused a brief loss of control, leading the four main rotor blades to strike the tower. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the blades. The pilot regained control of the aircraft and performed an emergency landing in a tall cornfield approximately 200 feet from the site of the impact. There were no injuries resulting from the accident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanics of the construction operation, specifically the movement of the wire and the stability of the hoist during the hover.