Narrative:

On oct/xx/94 I had a commercial job flying in a robinson R22B. This job was to come to a hover about 100 ft AGL and drop little light plastic ducks into a drop area. Being in a high hover and in out of ground effect , I was concerned about settling with power. Hovering 90 degrees to the wind. I made a right paddle turn to put my nose into the wind, I glanced at the vsi and noted a 300 ft descent. I pushed the cyclic forward to recover from this situation and didn't make any changes in the collective. Losing about 25 ft and after regaining some airspeed, I made a right turn to point fully into the wind. At this time I noticed the power lines. My passenger asked me if I see the lines and I confirmed that I see them. Believing I had no choice but to go under the power line as I descended to clear the main lines a thin silver line came up into view. I tried to go under this last line but didn't make it. Hitting the last line and cutting it with one of the rotor blades. This did not change the flight characteristic of the aircraft. After landing and inspecting the aircraft, I saw no physical damage to the aircraft or the blades. The police and power company were notified. The aircraft was flown back to my home airport with no further mishaps where it was inspected for further damage. Making a paddle turn in out of ground effect with a 300 ft descent contributed to some of it, also I believe the problem was that I was not paying attention to the things going on around me which caused me not to see the power lines!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A SMA HELI HIT WIRE DURING A PLASTIC DUCK DROP RESULTING IN CUTTING THE WIRE BUT NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT.

Narrative: ON OCT/XX/94 I HAD A COMMERCIAL JOB FLYING IN A ROBINSON R22B. THIS JOB WAS TO COME TO A HOVER ABOUT 100 FT AGL AND DROP LITTLE LIGHT PLASTIC DUCKS INTO A DROP AREA. BEING IN A HIGH HOVER AND IN OUT OF GND EFFECT , I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT SETTLING WITH PWR. HOVERING 90 DEGS TO THE WIND. I MADE A R PADDLE TURN TO PUT MY NOSE INTO THE WIND, I GLANCED AT THE VSI AND NOTED A 300 FT DSCNT. I PUSHED THE CYCLIC FORWARD TO RECOVER FROM THIS SIT AND DIDN'T MAKE ANY CHANGES IN THE COLLECTIVE. LOSING ABOUT 25 FT AND AFTER REGAINING SOME AIRSPD, I MADE A R TURN TO POINT FULLY INTO THE WIND. AT THIS TIME I NOTICED THE PWR LINES. MY PAX ASKED ME IF I SEE THE LINES AND I CONFIRMED THAT I SEE THEM. BELIEVING I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO GO UNDER THE PWR LINE AS I DSNDED TO CLR THE MAIN LINES A THIN SILVER LINE CAME UP INTO VIEW. I TRIED TO GO UNDER THIS LAST LINE BUT DIDN'T MAKE IT. HITTING THE LAST LINE AND CUTTING IT WITH ONE OF THE ROTOR BLADES. THIS DID NOT CHANGE THE FLT CHARACTERISTIC OF THE ACFT. AFTER LNDG AND INSPECTING THE ACFT, I SAW NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR THE BLADES. THE POLICE AND PWR COMPANY WERE NOTIFIED. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO MY HOME ARPT WITH NO FURTHER MISHAPS WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED FOR FURTHER DAMAGE. MAKING A PADDLE TURN IN OUT OF GND EFFECT WITH A 300 FT DSCNT CONTRIBUTED TO SOME OF IT, ALSO I BELIEVE THE PROB WAS THAT I WAS NOT PAYING ATTN TO THE THINGS GOING ON AROUND ME WHICH CAUSED ME NOT TO SEE THE PWR LINES!

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.