Narrative:

Helicopter flight under part 91. Flight down through a canyon area and struck a wire approximately 300 ft AGL. I should have reconnaissanced the area better and flew higher off the ground. There were 4 passenger aboard plus pilot. Impact with the wire caused a power outage for approximately 10 mins. Minor damage to aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter indicated that the FAA has checked into this incident and that no action is forthcoming. Reporter stated that he was very lucky in this encounter with the unmarked wires, as the wire snapped after initially impacting on the front section of the helicopter and didn't damage the rotor housing. The FAA reviewed the video tape that one of the passenger had recorded, and the wire was never seen on that review. FAA has not pushed the power company to place any obstruction warning balls on the wire as it doesn't meet the criterion for that, being a certain distance away from any airport. There is also a political/financial consideration, with the power company 'dragging its feet' on the issue, as any action of a positive sort might imply liability and the company is afraid of a retroactive law suit by the reporter. He says that won't happen, he's just thankful to be alive and he won't be caught in that canyon again. Reporter cites the almost impossible task of seeing the wires in these valleys. Reporter has been asked to give avoidance technique to other helicopter pilots in an FAA sponsored safety program. He suggests most of all a good reconnaissance program to identify these wire sites.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROTARY WINGED TFC IN A LOW ALT CIVIL OP ENCOUNTERS OBSTRUCTION PWR LINE NOT VISIBLE. WIRE PARTS PRIOR TO INFLICTING ANY DAMAGE TO ACFT.

Narrative: HELI FLT UNDER PART 91. FLT DOWN THROUGH A CANYON AREA AND STRUCK A WIRE APPROX 300 FT AGL. I SHOULD HAVE RECONNAISSANCED THE AREA BETTER AND FLEW HIGHER OFF THE GND. THERE WERE 4 PAX ABOARD PLUS PLT. IMPACT WITH THE WIRE CAUSED A PWR OUTAGE FOR APPROX 10 MINS. MINOR DAMAGE TO ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR INDICATED THAT THE FAA HAS CHKED INTO THIS INCIDENT AND THAT NO ACTION IS FORTHCOMING. RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS VERY LUCKY IN THIS ENCOUNTER WITH THE UNMARKED WIRES, AS THE WIRE SNAPPED AFTER INITIALLY IMPACTING ON THE FRONT SECTION OF THE HELI AND DIDN'T DAMAGE THE ROTOR HOUSING. THE FAA REVIEWED THE VIDEO TAPE THAT ONE OF THE PAX HAD RECORDED, AND THE WIRE WAS NEVER SEEN ON THAT REVIEW. FAA HAS NOT PUSHED THE PWR COMPANY TO PLACE ANY OBSTRUCTION WARNING BALLS ON THE WIRE AS IT DOESN'T MEET THE CRITERION FOR THAT, BEING A CERTAIN DISTANCE AWAY FROM ANY ARPT. THERE IS ALSO A POLITICAL/FINANCIAL CONSIDERATION, WITH THE PWR COMPANY 'DRAGGING ITS FEET' ON THE ISSUE, AS ANY ACTION OF A POSITIVE SORT MIGHT IMPLY LIABILITY AND THE COMPANY IS AFRAID OF A RETROACTIVE LAW SUIT BY THE RPTR. HE SAYS THAT WON'T HAPPEN, HE'S JUST THANKFUL TO BE ALIVE AND HE WON'T BE CAUGHT IN THAT CANYON AGAIN. RPTR CITES THE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TASK OF SEEING THE WIRES IN THESE VALLEYS. RPTR HAS BEEN ASKED TO GIVE AVOIDANCE TECHNIQUE TO OTHER HELI PLTS IN AN FAA SPONSORED SAFETY PROGRAM. HE SUGGESTS MOST OF ALL A GOOD RECONNAISSANCE PROGRAM TO IDENT THESE WIRE SITES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.