Helio H-295 N6478V

Summary

On 14 March 2009 at about 00:00 local time, a Helio H-295 registered N6478V, operated by Wright Air Service Inc, was involved in an accident near Healy, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 March 2009 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Healy, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Stampede (Z90)

Coordinates

63.7486, -150.3294

Aircraft

Helio H-295

Registration

N6478V

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Wright Air Service Inc

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fairbanks → Healy

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC09LA023

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's delay in initiating a climb while he was packing snow with the airplane's skis in preparation for landing, resulting in a collision with brush.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was on an on-demand air taxi passenger flight in a ski-equipped airplane. The pilot said that the accident occurred while he was packing snow at the landing site by laying down tracks with the airplane's skis in preparation for landing. During the last pass, he said that as the airplane lifted off the snow, the wings encountered high brush; when he pulled back on the elevator control to clear the brush, he said that he believed that the tail ski contacted the snow and dragged the airplane down into the brush. The pilot said that there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The fuselage and empennage sustained structural damage during the encounter with brush and terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.