Wirestrike involving a Bell 206B (III), VH-PHW, 20 km west of Cessnock, New South Wales, on 23 March 1994

The helicopter was engaged in a search for a missing aircraft. The search area was in a valley bounded by sheer cliffs reaching to heights of 2,000 ft above the valley floor. Whilst the helicopter was flying at a height of 1,000 ft about 150 metres out from a cliff face, the main rotor struck and severed a power transmission spur line. The helicopter remained controllable, and the pilot was able to land in a clearing about two kilometres away for damage assessment.

The pilot reported that he had not seen the cable, which stretched in a single span from the cliff top to the valley floor, nor had he experienced any handling difficulties with the helicopter after the collision.