Continental Copters TOMCAT MK6C accident near Quitman, Mississippi, August 14, 1989
On August 14, 1989 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Continental Copters TOMCAT MK6C (helicopter), registered N9085T, was destroyed in an accident near Quitman, Mississippi. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE TAIL BOOM ATTACHMENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1989 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Quitman, Mississippi · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Continental Copters TOMCAT MK6C TOMCAT MK6
- Registration
- N9085T · no longer on the register · serial CCI-77-3
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,800 hours in all; 1,260 in this make and model; 520 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 11,500 as pilot in command; 700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,109 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 5, 1989; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-A1F (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Ward Helicopters, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from MEI, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.