- Date
- June 10, 1995, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Arcadia, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9034TContinental Copters Tomcat MK 6C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950610019859A
- Case key
- 37793
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
Inadequate preflight of the helicopter by the pilot-in-command by failure to assure adequate fuel for the flight. Contributing to the accident was the unsuitable terrain encountered during the forced landing.
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
The pilot stated that about 6 minutes into the aerial application flight, the engine failed due to fuel exhaustion. He maneuvered the helicopter to avoid obstructions during which the main rotor RPM decreased. The helicopter landed hard during the autorotative landing.
Factual narrative
On June 10, 1995, about 1300 eastern daylight time, a Continental Copters El Tomcat MK6C, N9034T, registered to and operated by Whirly Birds, Inc., was substantially damaged during an autorotative landing near Arcadia, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR Part 137 aerial application flight. The commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated near the accident site about 1254.
The pilot stated that while flying about 15 feet above ground level over a ditch dispersing chemical, the engine failed due to fuel exhaustion. He initiated a 180-degree turn and maneuvered the helicopter between orange trees. The helicopter was landed hard damaging the tailboom and the right skid.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9034T
- Reported as
- Continental Copters Tomcat MK 6C (TOMCAT MK)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- CCI-74-9
- Airframe hours
- 3,057
- Engine
- Lycoming VO-435-A1F, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Registered owner
- Whirly Birds, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 1995 · 39 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
- 48
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 9,000 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 8,500 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SRQ, 49 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9034T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.