What happened
On December 5, 2025, at approximately 08:58 CST, a Hughes 3ASS (Hughes 369D), registration N161LA, was involved in an accident near Pryor, Oklahoma. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for the purpose of aerial observation of power line replacement operations.
Prior to the accident, the helicopter had departed from a landing zone approximately one mile from the crash site about 28 minutes earlier. Witnesses employed by a power line company reported that the helicopter was hovering alongside a power distribution line at a speed of approximately 4 knots. The pilot was observing a device known as a "sock" being pulled along the line by ground equipment. Witnesses observed the aircraft suddenly pitch up to a near-inverted attitude, fly backward, and then turn and pitch straight down toward the ground, describing the motion as if the helicopter had flipped onto its back.
The aircraft impacted an open field in a nose-low attitude, approximately 250 feet south of the power distribution line. The impact resulted in 1 fatality.
The investigation
Examination of the accident site showed the first identifiable point of contact was a ground impression containing debris from the forward fuselage and cabin area, along with ground penetration scars from the left and right skid toes. The skid toe and the forward 2-3 feet of the right skid separated from the rest of the right skid and remained embedded in the ground at the point of impact.
The main wreckage came to rest on its right side at a magnetic heading of approximately 040°, about 6 feet south of the initial contact point. The debris field was largely contained within a 50-foot diameter of the main wreckage. One main rotor blade was found 110 feet south of the wreckage, and a second blade was located 160 feet southeast. Additional components, including a section of a rotor blade and a pitch horn, were located approximately 160 to 170 feet from the main wreckage. All major components of the helicopter were recovered at the site.