A helicopter has hit an electricity pylon in Aberdeenshire, leaving more than 1000 homes without power.
The incident occurred during a survey for minerals in Aberdeenshire undertaken by Aberdeen Minerals Limited (AML).
The private company hired international specialist SkyTEM Surveys to conduct the survey, which looks for commercially exploitable deposits of base minerals such as copper, nickel, and cobalt.
The electromagnetic loop, which is suspended below the helicopter during the survey, struck a pylon near the Aberdeenshire town of Balmedie causing a power cut to 1004 houses in the area. A spokesperson for SSE said: "We'd like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank our customers for their patience as our engineers worked to restore power as quickly as possible."
All affected homes had their power restored by 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon.
A spokesperson for AML said: "Aberdeen Minerals Limited is aware of an incident near Balmedie that has led to a power outage.
"Reports that this was a result of the geophysical array colliding with a power line are being investigated by the company and its contractors.
"We can confirm that the helicopter is safely on the ground. Flight operations have been suspended, pending liaison with the relevant authorities."
The helicopter flew to the region from Germany last week but was unable to start the surveys due to bad weather.
Some geologists believe Aberdeenshire could be rich in mineral deposits that are set to be in high demand for the manufacture of electric vehicles and other low carbon technology.
Drew Craig, the general manager for AML, told The Press and Journal earlier this week that the "use of such a system for mineral exploration is a first for Scotland and the UK".
He added: “Momentum around the energy transition is clearly building in the north-east, and the timing of this survey and our plans for assessing the potential for critical raw materials couldn’t be better.”
The single-engine aircraft carries the sophisticated survey equipment, which looks from a distance like a large net, to try and detect the presence of metals at a height of around 300 feet.
The data gathered could indicate the presence of metals, which can then be explored further with a ground survey.
Homes and businesses in the areas set to be explored were informed of the scheduled flights, with AML promising that the helicopter’s presence in any one area would be brief.
