Robinson R44 N883TY accident near Parsons, West Virginia

Probable cause

The pilot's decision to maneuver the helicopter at low altitude over a river, which resulted in a wire strike and subsequent collision with terrain.

NTSB analysis

The pilot and two passengers were on a sightseeing flight. The helicopter entered a river basin that the pilot had previously flown through and rounded a bend. The pilot then saw unmarked wires that spanned the riverand tried to fly under the wires; however, the helicopter's main rotor struck the lowest wire. The helicopter then descended and came to rest on its right side in the river. The wires were about 50 ft above the river and were not depicted on the visual flight rules sectional chart. The pilot said that he had not previously noticed the wires but that he was flying at a lower altitude than on previous flights and "was too low in a place I shouldn't have been." The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA19TA204 for the full record.