Helicopter Inspecting Power Lines In Howell

HOWELL, NJ — A low-flying helicopter in the Howell Township area will be inspecting power lines for Jersey Central Power & Light, the company announced.

The inspections of all JCP&L transmission lines are expected to take about seven days, weather permitting, the announcement said.

The helicopter from Chesapeake Bay Helicopters is a Blue Bell 206 Jet Ranger with tail registration number N719CB.

A routine visual patrol is a general inspection of the structures, conductors, and all associated hardware on the transmission lines where the onboard inspector is looking for any outstanding issues or immediate threats to the reliability of the transmission lines, the company said.

The helicopter may be seen hovering and/or circling to get a closer look at any problems that may be found during these patrols, the company said.

It should be noted this contractor has been authorized to patrol the transmission circuits in their entirety (i.e. "breaker-to-breaker"), so patrols on certain lines may extend into the neighboring regions.

The flight crew will provide information on their daily location to any local airports when in their airspace, officials said.