PICKETT, WI, USA
N1476W
BELL 47G-5
THE FLD WHERE THIS ACCIDENT OCCURRED HAD BEEN SPRAYED ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT BY A FIXED-WING ACFT AT AN ALT OF 20 FT. NO WIRES WERE NOTED TO BE A HAZARD AT THAT TIME. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT THE PLT OF THE HELICOPTER WAS TALKING TO A SPOTTER ON THE GROUND VIA RADIO. NEITHER PERSON NOTICED THE POWER LINES CROSSING ONE END OF A SMALL SECTION OF THE CORN FLD. THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE WIRES ON HIS FIRST PASS. THEY BECAME ENTANGLED IN HIS ROTOR CONTROL RODS AND THE MACHINE SETTLED TO THE GROUND. THE PLT STATED THAT THE REASON NEITHER HE NOR HIS SPOTTER SAW THE WIRES WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE STRUNG IN A NON-STANDARD MANNER IN THAT THE NON-SUPPORTED SPAN OF WIRE WAS EXCESSIVE. THE WIRES DROOPED TO 7 FT ABOVE THE CORN. ALSO THERE WERE NO GUY WIRES OR TRANSFORMERS ON THE POLES TO INDICATE A POWER LINE ARRAY. THIS PLT HAS OVER 5600 HOURS OF AERIAL APPLICATION FLYING TIME IN HIS LOGBOOK.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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