What happened
On 9 September 2015, an Enstrom 480, registration G-IGHH, was involved in an accident at Church Farm House, Aldbury, Hertfordshire. The pilot was conducting a private flight, preparing to depart from a private site. After performing a vertical lift to approximately 30 ft aglim, the pilot flew forward to clear a nearby barn and initiated a right turn.
As the pilot descended slightly to increase airspeed, power cables became visible approximately 80 m ahead, silhouetted against the sky. In an attempt to avoid the obstacle, the pilot tried to climb and turn right; however, the left skid of the helicopter struck the cables. The impact caused the aircraft to roll upright and pitch nose-down before the cable eventually snapped.
While the pilot regained some degree of control, the aircraft remained entangled with the cable, prompting an emergency landing attempt. During the landing, the helicopter's skids sank into a recently ploughed field, causing the aircraft to roll onto its back. The aircraft was destroyed, and the pilot sustained minor injuries.