The Kite String Accident. A child’s kite string (fishing line) was responsible for bringing down a police helicopter (Bell Model 47G-5, N-7043J) at 1:50 PM on March 20, 1971. Pilot Denver L. Bealmear was the command pilot at the time of the accident, with Arva Allen Lee acting as the air observer. While flying at approximately 450 feet, Bealmear reported experiencing a sudden vibration followed by a loss of lift and rapid descent, with the helicopter landing in a vacant lot in the 500 block of South Watson Road. An initial investigation conducted by Sergeant Michael Carter, supervisor of the unit, determined that the cause of the accident was that the helicopter had flown into a clear mono-filament fishing line. The line was being used to fly a kite from a distance of one half mile east of the accident scene. The line wrapped itself around the pitch control arms which ran parallel to the rotor mast between the engine and the rotor blades and forced the rotor blades into a zero pitch angle. In this configuration the aircraft could only go downward. Upon impact the tail rotor struck the ground causing severe damage to it along with damage to the tail boom, landing skids, and various engine mounts and control cables. Bealmear reported that he did not see the kite line at any time. Both officers were transported to the St. Louis County Hospital, treated for muscle spasms, and released. The 1971 file indicated the repairs to the helicopter were completed in one month and the aircraft returned to service.