20150614007529A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Continental Copters TOMCAT MK5A · Downsville, WI · June 14, 2015

Date: June 14, 2015 · 15:00 local
Place: Downsville, WI
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator: CUHG
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9045T
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA15CA122
Reported as: Continental Copters Tomcat MK5A
Reported engine: Lycoming VO-435 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 610 total200 in this make and model90 in the last 90 days

N9045TRegistered now · Continental Copters TOMCAT MK5AS/N CCI-75-2 · Built 1975 Airframe modelContinental Copters TOMCAT MK5A Engine modelLycoming VO-435 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot was conducting aerial applications. After loading chemical the aircraft departed the platform on top of the service truck. Pilot stated that he nosed the aircraft down to gain effective transitional lift (etl). The pilot then pitched the aircraft nose up and it settled close to the ground. The spray booms contacted the vegetation in the field and folded in. The aircraft skid or center boom then contacted the ground and rotated the aircraft to the right. The left skid then contacted the ground causing the aircraft to turn on it's side. The main rotor then contacted the ground causing substantial damage to the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS CONDUCTING AERIAL APPLICATIONS. AFTER LOADING CHEMICAL THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED THE PLATFORM ON TOP OF THE SERVICE TRUCK. PILOT STATED THAT HE NOSED THE AIRCRAFT DOWN TO GAIN EFFECTIVE TRANSITIONAL LIFT (ETL). THE PILOT THEN PITCHED THE AIRCRAFT NOSE UP AND IT SETTLED CLOSE TO THE GROUND. THE SPRAY BOOMS CONTACTED THE VEGETATION IN THE FIELD AND FOLDED IN. THE AIRCRAFT SKID OR CENTER BOOM THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND AND ROTATED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE LEFT SKID THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TURN ON IT'S SIDE. THE MAIN ROTOR THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB GAA15CA122Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportElk Mound, WIThe pilot's failure to maintain a positive rate of climb after taking off from the service truck, which resulted in the helicopter impacting terrain.Jun 14, 2015 · Substantial damage