Flight Planning and Preflight
On February 20, 2020, the pilot-in-command, who was also the owner of a Robinson R-44 II helicopter (registration RA-06314), planned a flight from the Greenwood landing site to the Popov Lug landing site and back. A flight plan was filed online at 17:58 on February 19, 2020, and accepted at 17:59. The planned route traversed Class C and G airspace. The pilot obtained weather information from the Internet.
Around 11:00, the pilot arrived at Greenwood, refueled the helicopter, and performed a preflight inspection. No preflight medical examination was conducted, which was not in conflict with applicable regulations, as such examination is not required when departing from landing sites without medical personnel.
Accident Sequence
At 11:25, the pilot took off from Greenwood for the flight to Popov Lug. At 12:05, he reported to the Tver approach controller that he had landed at Popov Lug and planned a two-hour stop. At 14:47, the pilot took off from Popov Lug. During the takeoff acceleration and climb, the helicopter struck overhead power lines located at an altitude of approximately 18 meters along the takeoff path.
Outcome
The helicopter was destroyed by the impact; no post-crash fire occurred. The pilot was injured. There were no injuries on the ground. The overhead power lines were damaged.