- Date
- September 19, 2014, 08:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Arctic Village, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N333TBHelio H 250
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 20140919018209A
- Case key
- 90144
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 selection of an unsuitable landing/takeoff area, resulting in an inflight collision with terrain during takeoff.
Findings · 6
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 was departing from a remote, gravel-covered, 800-foot long off-airport site, in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident the airplane had been loaded at, or near the airplane's maximum gross weight limit. He said that shortly after the airplane became airborne, the tailwheel contacted an area of rising terrain causing the airplane to lose airspeed. The airplane subsequently collided with terrain at the departure end of the site, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot was departing from a remote, gravel-covered, 800-foot long off-airport site, in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident the airplane had been loaded at, or near the airplane's maximum gross weight limit. He said that shortly after the airplane became airborne, the tailwheel contacted an area of rising terrain causing the airplane to lose airspeed. The airplane subsequently collided with terrain at the departure end of the site, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N333TB
- Reported as
- Helio H 250 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2530
- Airframe hours
- 6,370
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 23, 2014
- Departed
- Arctic Village, AK
- Destination
- CRC · Circle, AK
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
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 12, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,570 total · 924 in this make and model · 1,503 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.36 inHg
- Observed at
- PARC, 74 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 24, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 MB 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 N333TB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.