Continental Copters Inc TOMCAT MK5A — registry & accident history
Compiled from FAA & NTSB records · as of Jul 18, 2026
There are 24 Continental Copters Inc TOMCAT MK5A airframes on record (built 1960–1978), 11 currently registered. 3 have one or more NTSB accident records (4 records total). Data as of Jul 18, 2026.
Recent Continental Copters Inc TOMCAT MK5A accidents
The pilot's inadequate preflight and in-flight fuel planning, during which he did not visually check the fuel quantity in the fuel tanks and instead relied on the fuel gauges that were showing erroneous fuel quantity indications, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power during cruise flight.
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.
The total loss of engine power due to water contamination of the fuel, which resulted in the pilot's forced landing and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to operate the helicopter without resolving the fuel contamination.
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter while maneuvering when he removed his hand from the collective control while plugging in his radio connection to his helmet, which resulted in the collective moving to the full-down position.