Final Report: Helo pilot didn't see wires

McDonnell Douglas MD-369E, Jensen, Utah, Nov. 21, 2006–The pilot of the search-and-rescue helicopter failed to maintain clearance from transmission wires due to an inadequate visual lookout while maneuvering, the NTSB said. In VFR conditions, the pilot made two 360-degree orbits at the site and hit several strands of transmission wire. The helicopter then descended uncontrolled, hit the ground, slid down a hill and came to rest partially submerged in a river. The pilot said he never saw the wires.

The helicopter, operated by Pete Martin Drilling of Vernal, Utah, was damaged.
The passenger, a local deputy sheriff, was killed and the commercial pilot was seriously injured.