Continental Copters TOMCAT MK 6C accident near Arcadia, Florida, June 10, 1995
On June 10, 1995 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Continental Copters TOMCAT MK 6C (helicopter), registered N9034T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arcadia, Florida. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 10, 1995 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Arcadia, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Continental Copters TOMCAT MK 6C TOMCAT MK
- Registration
- N9034T · no longer on the register · serial CCI-74-9
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 8,500 as pilot in command; 100 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,057 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1995; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,850 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming VO-435-A1F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:48 pm from SRQ, 49 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.
Other NTSB records under N9034T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.