- Date
- September 15, 2014, 18:15 local (Sep 16, 2014, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Prospect Creek, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N50718Helio H 295
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20140915023199A
- Case key
- 90082
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 loss of directional control during takeoff, in gusty and variable wind conditions, resulting in a collision with terrain.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported he was departing from the ramp area at the airport due to wind direction. Shortly after becoming airborne in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, a gust of wind pushed the right wing down and the aircraft momentarily flew inverted, turned 90-degrees, and then impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported he was departing from the ramp area at the airport due to wind direction. Shortly after becoming airborne in the tailwheel-equipped airplane, a gust of wind pushed the right wing down and the aircraft momentarily flew inverted, turned 90-degrees, and then impacted terrain. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50718
- Reported as
- Helio H 295 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1268
- Built
- 1967
- Airframe hours
- 4,600
- Engine
- Lycoming GO-480 SERIES, 295 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jespersen Aircraft Services Inc
- Registered owner
- Jespersen Aircraft Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 18, 2014
- Departed
- PPC · Prospect Creek, AK
- Destination
- BTT · Bettles, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PPC · Prospect Creek, runway 01, 4,968 × 150 ft, gravel
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 51
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 25, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 14,800 total · 2,450 in this make and model · 170 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,700 ft broken
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.52 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- PABT, 23 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 7, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 667 KB in all.
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 N50718 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.