Power lost in Colusa County in crop-duster incident

A crop-dusting helicopter’s “hard-landing crash” brought down power lines in Colusa County on Wednesday morning, knocking out power to 2,122 households.

No injuries were reported in the 8:45 a.m. accident, which brought down power lines on Lurline Avenue. Homes lost power for roughly six hours, according to a spokesperson for Pacific Gas and Electric Co.

Most of the affected households were in Williams, but other Colusa County cities – Arbuckle, Colusa and Maxwell – also experienced power outages.

“It looks like we had some broken electric wire that we had to replace – about 50 feet of wire,” PG&E spokesperson Brandi Merlo said.

The electric company managed to restore everyone’s power by 1:53 p.m., Merlo said.

Peter Styres, the pilot, flew for Jones Aviation in Williams and was contracted by a Colusa County rice farmer to crop dust fields, according to the Colusa County Sheriff’s Department.

During the process, the pilot attempted to fly under power lines, close to the ground, when the back of the aircraft got tangled in the wires, forcing it down.

“I would call it a hard-landing crash,” said Sgt. Jose Ruiz. “Based on his experience and years of flying, he was able to put it down safely.”

While the pilot was able to stage a successful emergency landing, the helicopter’s rear rotor sustained significant damage, Ruiz said. The total cost and extent of the damages to the Bell Huey UH1B helicopter is unknown.

“He refused medical attention, but was a little shaken up,” Ruiz said. “I think he said he was planning on getting another helicopter so he could finish the job the same day.”