- Date
- August 20, 2025, 17:00 local (Aug 21, 2025, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pilot Point, AK
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N44344Helio H-395
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 30, 2026
- 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
- 20250820013559A
- Case key
- 200862
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 inadequate takeoff performance planning, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with terrain.
Findings · 3
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, while attempting to takeoff from a remote airstrip in a tailwheel-equipped airplane, he miscalculated the airplane’s performance abilities, and the airplane overran the available takeoff area. The airplane struck terrain, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44344
- Reported as
- Helio H-395
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 597
- Built
- 1963
- Airframe hours
- 11,547
- Engine
- Lycoming GO-480-G1D6, 270 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Alaska Outdoor Consultants LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 25, 2025 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- AKN · King Salmon, AK
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- NONE · Unimproved Strip
- Equipment
- Satellite tracking device, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, 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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 27, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8,026 total · 58 in this make and model · 7,686 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Observed at
- APN, 47 nm away
- METAR
- PAPN 210056Z AUTO 27005KT 9SM CLR 16/13 A3018 RMK AO2 SLP219 T01560133 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.2 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.