Pilot of an small aircraft turbine helicopter struck wires during a low level photo reconnaissance f...

Attributes
ACN	318302
Time
Date	199510
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : uin
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 25 agl bound upper : 25
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Jet Ranger Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	318302
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying a bell jet ranger helicopter in the vicinity of west quincy, mo, at approximately coordinates N3951/W09127. The mission was a camera shoot for a local television commercial. I had 2 individuals on board at the time of the occurrence. The director asked that I find a suitable railroad track with a north/south orientation. While flying over unpopulated farm fields, I flew south over railroad tracks to determine proper lighting conditions and the suitability of the area for filming. Prior to a camera run, I flew over the tracks to perform a reconnaissance on the wires that parallel on the west side. This had me looking toward the sun which was low in the sky. The low angle of the setting sun and the glare were a factor in my not seeing wires which were crossing perpendicular to the tracks. I struck and broke what possibly were 2 wires. I was at an airspeed of approximately 50 KTS and did not see the wires until immediately before impact. There were no injuries. The damage to the helicopter consisted of a broken right chin-bubble and 2 bent antennas. The forward skid cross tube was scuffed where it broke the wire. I had submitted a facsimile to my FSDO office on oct/fri/95, detailing the information that I had pertaining to the shoot and was operating under an FAA approved tv and motion picture waiver. Contributing factors may have been: in order to complete the shooting schedule as detailed by the client, I had been on duty for 9 hours when the incident happened. I had flown 6 hours that day prior to the occurrence. Flying over corn/bean fields, 1/8 mi west of the mississippi river with no population/structures between me and the river, I did not anticipate this secondary wire to cross my flight path. I had flown 2-3 mins over the tracks and the wires paralleling them. I had been looking into the sun with considerable glare from its low angle. The wires were small strands and were mounted side-by-side at the same level so at my altitude would have appeared as one. I believe the sun glare prevented me from seeing the poles west of me and the poles east went immediately into a tree line.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA TURBINE HELI STRUCK WIRES DURING A LOW LEVEL PHOTO RECONNAISSANCE FLT CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE HELI. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A BELL JET RANGER HELI IN THE VICINITY OF W QUINCY, MO, AT APPROX COORDINATES N3951/W09127. THE MISSION WAS A CAMERA SHOOT FOR A LCL TELEVISION COMMERCIAL. I HAD 2 INDIVIDUALS ON BOARD AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE DIRECTOR ASKED THAT I FIND A SUITABLE RAILROAD TRACK WITH A N/S ORIENTATION. WHILE FLYING OVER UNPOPULATED FARM FIELDS, I FLEW S OVER RAILROAD TRACKS TO DETERMINE PROPER LIGHTING CONDITIONS AND THE SUITABILITY OF THE AREA FOR FILMING. PRIOR TO A CAMERA RUN, I FLEW OVER THE TRACKS TO PERFORM A RECONNAISSANCE ON THE WIRES THAT PARALLEL ON THE W SIDE. THIS HAD ME LOOKING TOWARD THE SUN WHICH WAS LOW IN THE SKY. THE LOW ANGLE OF THE SETTING SUN AND THE GLARE WERE A FACTOR IN MY NOT SEEING WIRES WHICH WERE XING PERPENDICULAR TO THE TRACKS. I STRUCK AND BROKE WHAT POSSIBLY WERE 2 WIRES. I WAS AT AN AIRSPD OF APPROX 50 KTS AND DID NOT SEE THE WIRES UNTIL IMMEDIATELY BEFORE IMPACT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DAMAGE TO THE HELI CONSISTED OF A BROKEN R CHIN-BUBBLE AND 2 BENT ANTENNAS. THE FORWARD SKID CROSS TUBE WAS SCUFFED WHERE IT BROKE THE WIRE. I HAD SUBMITTED A FAX TO MY FSDO OFFICE ON OCT/FRI/95, DETAILING THE INFO THAT I HAD PERTAINING TO THE SHOOT AND WAS OPERATING UNDER AN FAA APPROVED TV AND MOTION PICTURE WAIVER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS MAY HAVE BEEN: IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE SHOOTING SCHEDULE AS DETAILED BY THE CLIENT, I HAD BEEN ON DUTY FOR 9 HRS WHEN THE INCIDENT HAPPENED. I HAD FLOWN 6 HRS THAT DAY PRIOR TO THE OCCURRENCE. FLYING OVER CORN/BEAN FIELDS, 1/8 MI W OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WITH NO POPULATION/STRUCTURES BTWN ME AND THE RIVER, I DID NOT ANTICIPATE THIS SECONDARY WIRE TO CROSS MY FLT PATH. I HAD FLOWN 2-3 MINS OVER THE TRACKS AND THE WIRES PARALLELING THEM. I HAD BEEN LOOKING INTO THE SUN WITH CONSIDERABLE GLARE FROM ITS LOW ANGLE. THE WIRES WERE SMALL STRANDS AND WERE MOUNTED SIDE-BY-SIDE AT THE SAME LEVEL SO AT MY ALT WOULD HAVE APPEARED AS ONE. I BELIEVE THE SUN GLARE PREVENTED ME FROM SEEING THE POLES W OF ME AND THE POLES E WENT IMMEDIATELY INTO A TREE LINE.

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.

Pilot of an small aircraft turbine helicopter struck wires during a low level photo reconnaissance flight causing minor damage to the helicopter. There were no injuries.