1996-10 · NASA ASRS report 351576
A BELL 206 JET RANGER PLT CUT OFF PART OF HIS VERT FIN WHEN HE HIT A STATIC PWRLINE. ERROR ADMITTED. ACFT DAMAGE VERT FIN.
I THOUGHT I FELT AND HEARD A SMALL THUMP. I ASKED THE MECH 'IF HE FELT OR HEARD ANYTHING.' HE SAID HE WAS NOT SURE. WE DECIDED; JUST TO BE SAFE; WE WOULD FIND A PLACE TO LAND. AT THIS TIME I FELT NO ABNORMAL FLT CHARACTERISTICS AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. ALL ENG AND ACFT GAUGES AND INSTS WERE NORMAL. WE LANDED WITHOUT ANY PROB OR ANYTHING AT ALL FEELING UNUSUAL. I GOT OUT OF THE HELI AND LOOKED REARWARD TO SEE WE HAD LOST OUR VERT FIN. THE FAA AND NTSB WERE NOTIFIED THAT NIGHT. I ALSO CALLED THE NTSB THE NEXT MORNING. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD HIT A STATIC WIRE WHICH CROSSED A VALLEY. WE DISCOVERED WE HIT THE R SKID TUBE AND THE VERT FIN APPROX 1 1/2 INCHES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE VERT FIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING BELL 206 JET RANGER. THE CEO OF HIS COMPANY FIRED HIM; BUT THE FLT DEPT MGR IS STILL PROVIDING THE RPTR WITH EXCELLENT REFS. THERE WERE NO HAZARD MARKINGS ON THE WIRES WHICH ARE ESTIMATED TO BE BTWN 400-600 FT AGL. THE FAA IS TRYING TO GIVE THE RPTR A 30 DAY SUSPENSION; NOT FOR LOW FLYING; BUT FOR DROPPING SOMETHING FROM HIS ACFT THAT MIGHT ENDANGER SOMEONE ON THE GND. THE RPTR DID NOT FLY OVER THE ONLY HOUSE VISIBLE IN A VERY ISOLATED AREA.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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