- Date
- July 11, 1988, 16:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Straughn, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9093TContinental Copters Tomcat MK-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880711026259A
- Case key
- 13916
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Aerial application helicopter struck power lines in field on first swath run. This was the first time the pilot had sprayed this field. Prior to spraying the field he questioned the farmer regarding power lines or other obstructions. The farmer replied that there were none. After the accident the farmer stated that he forgot about those power lines. The pilot circled the field prior to starting his application swath run looking for obstructions, and saw none.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9093T
- Reported as
- Continental Copters Tomcat MK-6 (TOMCAT MK-)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- CCI 78-5
- Airframe hours
- 1,276
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Stephen D. Squires
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 23, 1988 · 31 hours before
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 6,500 total · 3,000 in this make and model · 6,500 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.