Continental Copters MK6B N9080T

Summary

On 9 July 2003 at about 13:45 local time, a Continental Copters MK6B registered N9080T was involved in an accident near Ft. Yates, North Dakota, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 July 2003 at 13:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Ft. Yates, North Dakota, United States

Coordinates

46.0664, -100.6347

Aircraft

Continental Copters MK6B

Registration

N9080T

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ft. Yates → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

CHI03LA204

Nobody was injured.

The inadvertent settling with power and unsuccessful remedial action by the pilot. A factor to the accident was the potato crop.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter impacted terrain while maneuvering for aerial application. The pilot reported he was making a "wide swing" to the left while descending. He stated the helicopter entered what he believed to be a "settling with power situation by [his] rotor wash." The pilot said he attempted to recover by dropping the collective and pushing forward on the stick. He reported he was too close to the ground to complete the recovery, so he flared to reduce his airspeed and the helicopter impacted the terrain. The spray boom caught the potato crop and the skids were caught in the wet ground. The helicopter nosed forward and rolled to the right, coming to a rest on its right side.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.