Accident Overview
On 24 May 2010 at 1643 hrs, a Hughes 369E helicopter registered G-VICE struck power cables during an approach to a field in Poundsgate, Devon. The aircraft sustained extensive damage, and the pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries.
Circumstances
The helicopter departed from a private site near Exeter and flew to another private site near an inn in a hamlet northwest of Newton Abbot, Devon. The pilot had previously used a different field at that site, but it had been ploughed, requiring a landing in an adjacent field to the north. This field was bordered on its northern edge by a line of trees approximately 80 ft high, with a gap about 25 yards wide in the center.
Wind conditions on the day necessitated an approach from the north, over the trees. The pilot had also landed in this field previously, but had used the open area at the opposite end from the trees. On this occasion, the presence of horses prompted him to aim for the northern end. He decided to approach through the gap in the trees.
Sequence of Events
At an airspeed of around 45 kt, the aircraft struck power cables suspended approximately 50 ft above the ground. The cables became trapped between the skids and the fuselage underside, with the tension partially arresting the forward motion before the cables broke. The aircraft then struck the ground and disintegrated, with the cockpit area remaining relatively intact and rolling about 85 yards before coming to rest. The pilot’s harness remained secure during the impact. The pilot extricated himself, having suffered minor injuries.
A bystander who witnessed the accident, also a pilot, ran to the wreckage and assisted in shutting down the engine, which had continued to run after the impact.
Pilot Comments
The pilot stated that he did not fly a reconnaissance circuit and had not previously approached over the trees. He was unaware of the presence of the cables and failed to see them during the approach. He noted that a contributory factor was that the supporting poles were hidden in the trees on either side of the gap.