- Date
- September 16, 1990, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Mcgrath, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N204CWHelio H-295
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 15, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900916039689A
- Case key
- 5456
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
Fuel contamination. A contributing factor was the inadequate aircraft preflight by the pilot.
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.
Loss of engine power(total) - nonmechanical
Fuel system - contaminationCause
Aircraft preflight - inadequateCause
Fuel system,tank - waterCause
Fuel system,line - waterCause
Forced landing
Nose over
Analysis
During cruise flight, the engine quit. After an emergency landing on the tundra, the airplane nosed over on to its back. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures. However, water was found in both fuel tanks and fuel lines.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N204CW
- Reported as
- Helio H-295
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1213
- Engine
- Lycoming GO-480, 295 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Kelly L. Vrem
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 8, 1990 · 72 hours before
- Departed
- TKA · Talkeetna, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 9,500 total · 246 in this make and model · 9,200 as pilot in command · 66 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.