- Date
- June 14, 2015, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Elk Mound, WI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9045TContinental Copters Tomcat MK5A
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150614007529A
- Case key
- 91371
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain a positive rate of climb after taking off from the service truck, which resulted in the helicopter impacting terrain.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported he was conducting aerial agricultural operations in his helicopter and that he landed on the bed of the service truck. He reported that fungicide was added to the hopper, and he picked up off of the service truck to take off. As he nosed the helicopter over to pass through effective translational lift (ETL), he reported that he pulled in collective to climb, and that "I noticed wasn't gaining lift and was settling through ETL." The helicopter impacted a crop field and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and to the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot verified that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he was conducting aerial agricultural operations in his helicopter and that he landed on the bed of the service truck. He reported that fungicide was added to the hopper, and he picked up off of the service truck to take off. As he nosed the helicopter over to pass through effective translational lift (ETL), he reported that he pulled in collective to climb, and that "I noticed wasn't gaining lift and was settling through ETL." The helicopter impacted a crop field and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and to the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot verified that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9045T
- Reported as
- Continental Copters Tomcat MK5A (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- CCI-75-2
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 4,101.9
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435 SERIES, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Churchill, Scott
- Registered owner
- Scotts Helicopter Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 11, 2014 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- Elk Mound, WI
- Destination
- Elk Mound, WI
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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 16, 2015
- Seat
- Single
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 400 in this make and model · 549 as pilot in command · 113 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KLUM, 9 nm away
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 10.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.