Bell 206B N118TV accident near Temple, Oklahoma

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from static power lines.

NTSB analysis

The pilot said that he positioned the helicopter behind a moving truck as it was traveling down the highway to film the contents in the truck's bed. Unaware that terrain was rising, he observed a static power line across the helicopter's path at the last second. He attempted to avoid the power line by flying underneath it; however, the main rotor mast impacted a wire. He performed a successful autorotation to the ground. The helicopter's tail boom, tail rotor, vertical stabilizer, and main rotor control linkages sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN11CA509 for the full record.