Continental Copters TOMCAT MK6C N9085T

Summary

On 14 August 1989 at about 17:40 local time, a Continental Copters TOMCAT MK6C registered N9085T, operated by Ward Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Quitman, Mississippi, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

14 August 1989 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Quitman, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

32.0392, -88.7204

Aircraft

Continental Copters TOMCAT MK6C

Registration

N9085T

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Ward Helicopters, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA89LA221

1 person was seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE MANEUVERING TO BEGIN SPRAYING OPERATIONS, THE HELICOPTER ROLLED TO THE RGT, DESCENDED NOSE LOW & COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN. AN EXAM OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE LOWER TAIL BOOM ATTACHMENT BOLT WAS ELONGATED AND THAT THE ATTACHING BOLT HAD FAILED. THIS ALLOWED THE TAIL BOOM TO BEND UPWARD UNTIL THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE TAIL ROTOR. OPERATOR PSNL BELIEVED THE ELONGATED HOLE WAS DUE TO MOVEMENT OF THE TAIL BOOM, WHILE BEING TRAILERED TO DIFFERENT SPRAYING LOCATIONS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.