Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s inadequate inflight planning and his failure to see and avoid a wire which resulted in contact with the wire and subsequent ground impact.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot reported that during spray operations the helicopter contacted a wire and then impacted terrain, which damaged the main rotor mast and tail boom. Following the accident, the pilot realized the poles holding the wire were concealed by trees and that he should have conducted a more thorough inflight survey of the spray area. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.