- Date
- May 19, 2006, 18:30 local (May 20, 2006, 02:30 UTC)
- Place
- Anchorage, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6324VHelio H-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA-AL-ANC FSDO 03
- FAA report
- 20060519012049A
- Case key
- 63949
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper use of the carburetor heat control during takeoff, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power, a hard landing, and an on ground encounter with terrain. A factor contributing to the accident was an inadvertent ground loop.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private certificated pilot was departing a grass surface runway on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 personal flight. The runway was about 3,000 feet long, and about 150 feet wide. The pilot said that during the takeoff run, the engine did not seem to be producing full power. The airplane lifted off to about 10 feet above ground level, but the pilot decided to abort the takeoff and pulled the throttle to idle. The airplane landed hard and began to veer to the left. The pilot said the airplane ground looped to the left, departed off the left side of the runway, and collided with alder bushes. The airplane received structural damage to the right main landing gear, and the left wing and left aileron. The pilot reported that the airplane engine did not have any mechanical malfunction. He said that after the accident, he discovered that the carburetor heat control was in the "on" position.
Factual narrative
On May 19, 2006, about 1830 Alaska daylight time, a wheel-equipped Helio H-250 airplane, N6324V, sustained substantial damage when it departed the runway surface following an aborted takeoff from a remote airport, about 14 miles northwest of Anchorage, Alaska. The airplane was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area personal flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The airplane was operated by the pilot. The private certificated pilot and the sole passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated at the Little Su Lodge, and was en route to Merrill Field, Anchorage.
During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on June 21, 2006, the pilot reported that he was departing toward the south on a grass surface runway that was oriented north/south. The runway was about 3,000 feet long, and about 150 feet wide. The pilot said that during the takeoff run, the engine did not seem to be producing full power. The airplane lifted off to about 10 feet above ground level (agl), but the pilot decided to abort the takeoff and pulled the throttle to idle. The airplane landed hard and began to veer to the left. The pilot said the airplane ground looped to the left, departed off the left side of the runway, and collided with alder bushes. The airplane received structural damage to the right main landing gear, and the left wing and left aileron. The pilot reported that the airplane engine did not have any mechanical malfunction. He said that after the accident, he discovered that the carburetor heat control was in the "on" position.
The pilot did not submit a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6324V
- Reported as
- Helio H-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2538
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John J. Darrah
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Anchorage, AK
- Destination
- PAMR · Anchorage, AK
- Airport
- Little Su Lodge, runway 18, 3,000 × 150 ft, grass/turf
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,400 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N6324V · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.