What happened
On July 26, 2022, at 0455 EDT, an Eurocopter AS365N3, registration N520CF, was involved in an accident near Hamilton, Ohio, while operating as a Part 135 air medical flight. The pilot had been dispatched to respond to a motor vehicle accident and departed at approximately 0428 under dark night visual meteorological conditions.
While approximately 9 miles from the destination, the pilot contacted fire department personnel on the scene to request site information. The personnel notified the pilot that high-voltage power lines were located on the south side of the intended landing zone.
As the pilot approached the scene, he orbited from south to north. Although the pilot was using night vision goggles and could identify the power line tower, he could not locate the wires themselves. He also could not determine the direction the wires were running from the tower. The pilot attempted to use the helicopter's landing light to find the wires but was unable to do so, ultimately believing the wires were further away from the landing zone rather than beneath the aircraft. During the descent, the main rotor blades struck the wires, causing the helicopter to fall approximately 30 to 50 feet. The 3 crew members on board sustained 3 minor injuries and were able to egress after the engines were shut down.
The investigation
An inspection by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector determined that the aircraft struck the high-voltage wires, severing one of them, before landing hard. The investigation found that portions of each main rotor blade had separated near the mid-span, and the main rotor gearbox and mounts were fractured. Additionally, the left engine was found hanging from the engine motor mounts. The aircraft came to rest on its left side with a bent, substantially damaged stabilizer and impact-damaged landing gear.