Chopper takes down power line in Page County, but lands safely
July 26th, 2022 by Ric Hanson
(Clarinda, Iowa) – The Page County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported after a helicopter struck a power line, cutting the line, Sunday evening. According to Sheriff Lyle Palmer, Deputies were dispatched a little after 6-p.m., to the area of 180th Street and Redwood Avenue, about 1.5-miles north of Clarinda, where the blades of a Bell Model 206 Helicopter had accidentally struck and cut the power line, while the chopper was in the process of spraying a field.
The pilot, Oren William Perkins of Abbeville, LA., returned the helicopter to the designated landing zone near 205th Street and T Avenue in Montgomery County, where it landed without incident. The chopper is owned by JBI helicopters of Abbeville, LA.
The Page County Sheriff’s Office notified the FAA of the incident. A damage estimate for the helicopter was not available. Damage to the MidAmerican Energy power line and Southwest REC transformer, was estimated at $270,000.
The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Clarinda Fire Department at the scene.