- Date
- September 20, 1989, 20:50 local (Sep 21, 1989, 04:50 UTC)
- Place
- Near Iliamna, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5450EHelio H-250
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 28, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19890920035729A
- Case key
- 5266
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
Inadequate preflight planning/preparation by the pilot and his continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Factors related to the accident were: darkness and adverse weather conditions.
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 plt did not receive a wx briefing for the return flt, because he had just flown over the area. During the return flt, he encountered obscured ceilings, reduced visibilities, heavy rain, freezing rain, & severe turbulence. According to the plt, the acft subsequently landed in a swamp & creek at night. He stated he had slowed the acft to 25 to 30 KTS, when the acft made contact with the ground. The airplane slid aprx 40 ft to a stop. The flt visibility was rprtd to be zero, when the acft contacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5450E
- Reported as
- Helio H-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2507
- Airframe hours
- 1,556
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-250, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jack Sutherland
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 2, 1989 · 79 hours before
- Departed
- Taylor Mtn, AK
- Destination
- ILI · Iliamna, 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 262 total · 220 in this make and model · 207 as pilot in command · 83 in the last 90 days · 63 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 340° at 35 knots
- Temperature
- 36 °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 N5450E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.