A HELI PLT HITS A PWR LINE DURING AN ATTEMPTED PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. FAA CITES PLT FOR OVERDUE 100 HR INSPECTION.

Date: 1999-05 · Aircraft: Helicopter · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|conflict-ground-conflict|critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-maintenance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-loss-of-aircraft-control|inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown

Synopsis

A HELI PLT HITS A PWR LINE DURING AN ATTEMPTED PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. FAA CITES PLT FOR OVERDUE 100 HR INSPECTION.

Narrative

WHILE FLYING HOME OVER A HEAVILY WOODED AREA; THE CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH IN THE HELI SLIPPED; CAUSING THE ROTOR RPM TO DRASTICALLY FALL. I WENT INTO AUTOROTATION AND THE ONLY AREA I HAD TO LAND IN WAS A SMALL FIELD NEAR SOME HOUSES. WHILE GETTING TO THAT FIELD; I CAUGHT AN 8000 VOLT PWR LINE THAT CAUSED THE HELI TO FLIP BACKWARD; LNDG INTO THE GND. THE STATE HWY PATROL CAME OUT AND I TOLD THEM I NEEDED TO CONTACT NTSB AND FAA IMMEDIATELY. THEY TOLD ME THEY DID AND THAT NO ONE WAS GOING TO COME OUT SINCE THERE WAS NO PROPERTY DAMAGE; NO INJURIES AND NO SUBSTANTIAL ACFT DAMAGE. 2 DAYS LATER; AN FAA INSPECTOR CALLED AND SAID I WAS IN VIOLATION FOR NOT RPTING TO FAA AND NTSB IMMEDIATELY. SINCE THE HWY PATROL NOTIFIED; I ASSUMED THIS WAS OK. THE FAA IS UPSET BECAUSE THE HWY PATROL NOTIFIED THE WRONG PERSON. SINCE THIS OCCURRED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF A MECHANICAL PROB; I DON'T FEEL THEY SHOULD CHARGE ME WITH AN ACCIDENT -- IF ANYTHING; JUST AN INCIDENT. I WAS INFORMED BY THE FAA THAT I WILL PROBABLY BE IN VIOLATION FOR GOING 6 HRS OVER THE 100 HR ANNUAL. OF THOSE 100 HRS; ONLY 5 WERE USED AS SIGHTSEEING RIDES. THE REMAINING HRS WERE USED FOR PERSONAL AND/OR PLEASURE. I AM UNDER PART 91.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.