Skip to content

WPR23LA105

2023-02-05 · Yakima, Washington, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N7452F

Make / Model
HUGHES 269C
Seats / Engines
3 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19830715
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AA07C1

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's failure to see and avoid a powerline while flying at low altitude over a river.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that, while flying low along the river, the helicopter collided with an unseen wire. The pilot subsequently accomplished a landing in the shallow water of the river without further incident. A main rotor blade was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Wire-Effect on operation
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2023_WPR23LA105.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.