N118TV

On July 23, 2011, a Bell 206B (N118TV) was involved in an incident near Temple, OK. All 3 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from static power lines.

While flying a film director and camera man, the pilot positioned the helicopter behind a moving truck to film the contents in the truck's bed. Unaware that terrain was rising, the pilot observed a static power line across the helicopter's path at the last second. The pilot attempted to avoid the power line by flying underneath it; however, the main rotor mast impacted a wire. The pilot was able to perform 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.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN11CA509. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N118TV.