- Date
- September 16, 2023, 17:35 local (Sep 17, 2023, 01:35 UTC)
- Place
- Fairbanks, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N713CHelio H-295
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Windshear or thunderstorm
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230916011269A
- Case key
- 193105
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 encounter with windshear during initial climb out, which resulted in a loss of control.
Findings · 4
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 that during takeoff from a remote site surrounded by trees, he encountered windshear and a gusting tailwind during the initial climb. He said that once the airplane climbed above tree level, the airplane stopped climbing, lost altitude, and then struck a stand of trees at the departure end of the site, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N713C
- Reported as
- Helio H-295
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1438
- Built
- 1970
- Airframe hours
- 13,334.3
- Engine
- Lycoming GO-480-G2D6, 285 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 135
- Operator
- Wright Air Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Wright Air Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 2023
- Destination
- Fairbanks (Nome Creek), AK
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, Handheld GPS, ADS-B
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 13, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 10,200 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 10,200 as pilot in command · 264 in the last 90 days · 102 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.06 inHg
- Observed at
- AEI, 29 nm away
- METAR
- PAEI 170055Z AUTO 09009KT 10SM FEW070 BKN100 14/00 A2906 RMK AO2 SLP846 T01410003 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 4, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.6 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 N713C · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.