Abstract: At 3:05 p.m. on August 12, 1992, Employee #1, of Colorado Helicopters, Inc., the pilot of a Hughes 500 D helicopter, was stringing wire for the California-Oregon Transmission Project 500 KV line. The pilot was observed flying backwards in the direction of the pull rather than flying sideways, thus obstructing a constant vision to the rear. Physical evidence showed that the rear stabilizer and the main rotor contacted tower 76-1, which precipitated destructive failures, and caused the helicopter to crash. Employee #1 was removed by employees of a subcontractor shortly after the accident and just as the helicopter caught on fire. They administered first aid and CPR until emergency medical crews arrived. Employee #1 was transported by ambulance to Colusa Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.