No fatalities

14 Jun 2015: CONTINENTAL COPTERS INC. TOMCAT MK5A NO SERIES — CHURCHILL, SCOTT — Elk Mound, WI

Elk Mound, WI, United States

On 14 Jun 2015, a CONTINENTAL COPTERS INC. TOMCAT MK5A NO SERIES operated by CHURCHILL, SCOTT was involved in an aviation accident near Elk Mound, WI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: 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. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot performing agricultural operations reported that his helicopter settled through effective translational lift (ETL) during takeoff from a service truck, impacting a crop field and sustaining substantial damage.

Accident Overview

A pilot conducting aerial agricultural operations reported an accident involving his helicopter. According to the pilot, the helicopter had landed on the bed of a service truck. After fungicide was added to the hopper, the pilot lifted off from the service truck. During the takeoff, as the pilot nosed the helicopter over to pass through effective translational lift (ETL), he pulled in collective to climb. He stated, "I noticed wasn't gaining lift and was settling through ETL." The helicopter subsequently impacted a crop field.

Damage

The accident resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter's fuselage and tail rotor drive shaft.

Mechanical Examination

The pilot verified that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Pilot Report

No further details regarding the pilot, helicopter type, registration, or location were provided in the source.

Contributing factors

PilotClimb rate — Not attained/maintained