- Date
- January 21, 1985, 14:05 local (22:05 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N55XVHelio H-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850121041489A
- Case key
- 24640
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 acft bounced upon landing in calm wind conditions and the left main gear leg broke off whereupon the acft ground looped to the right. Inspection revealed rust on both sides of the gear strut about 6 inches below the fuselage where a brace is welded to the strut. The rust area was hidden from view by paint.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55XV
- Reported as
- Helio H-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2520
- Engine
- Lycoming GO-480-GID6, 295 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- P.R. Porter & Son
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 30, 1984
- Departed
- IPL · Imperial, CA
- Destination
- PSP · Palm Springs, CA
- Airport
- PSP · Palm Springs, runway 30, 7,013 × 150 ft, asphalt
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 527 total · 527 in this make and model · 450 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PSP
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 N55XV · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.