CROCKETT, CA, USA
N95AT
BELL 206BIII
THE PILOT HAD BEEN HIRED TO PROVIDE AN AIRLIFT FOR 4 PASSENGERS TO ASSIST THEM IN SURVEYING THE STRAIT FOR AN OIL SPILL.THE PILOT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA WHICH WAS LOCATED NEAR HIS HOME BASE ARPT. ON A CLEAR DAY, WHILE IN SLOW CRUISE FLT ABOUT 210 FEET AGL, THE PLT COLLIDED NEARLY PERPENDICULAR WITH A POWER LINE. THE LINE WAS DEPICTED ON THE AERONAUTICAL CHART. THE HELICOPTER ENTERED AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT AND CRASHED INTO THE UNDERLYING STRAIT. AN FAA INSPECTOR WHO FLEW THE SAME ROUTE AS THE ACCIDENT PLT REPORTED THAT THE POWER LINE WAS DIFFICULT TO OBSERVE UNITL HE WAS WITHIN 1000 FT OF IT. THE INSPECTOR INDICATED THAT THE LACK OF CONSPICUITY MAY BE RELATED TO THE FACT THAT THE TOWERS FROM WHICH THE LINE HAD BEEN SUSPENDED ACROSS THE STRAIT WERE LOCATED 4426 FEET APART.
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN VIGILANT WATCH FOR OBSTRUCTIONS WHILE INTENTIONALLY CRUISING SLOWLY AT A LOW ALTITUDE. A FACTOR WAS THE POWER LINE WAS SUPPORTED BY DISTANT TOWERS, AND THE LINE WAS NOT CONSPICUOUS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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