Helio H 250 N6314V

Summary

On 21 June 2019 at about 23:46 local time, a Helio H 250 registered N6314V was involved in an accident near Seward, Alaska, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 June 2019 at 23:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Seward, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

59.9417, -148.6644

Aircraft

Helio H 250

Registration

N6314V

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Seward → Seward

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC19FA026

3 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees during takeoff, which resulted in an in-flight collision, a loss of control, and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was asked to pick up two passengers, and their equipment, from a remote unimproved, grass-covered airstrip that was surrounded by trees at the southern end of the site. After failing to return with the passengers, a friend of the pilot initiated an aerial search and found the airplane at the south end of the airstrip on the shoreline of a small river. The airplane was observed in a near vertical position and had largely been consumed by a postcrash fire. The initial impact point was marked by a fresh tree break in an area of 85 ft. tall trees at the departure end of the site. The airplane's left wing had a large elliptical-shaped impact area with fresh pieces of the broken tree wedged inside. First responders found some of the passenger's equipment/luggage on the side of the accident airstrip, which appeared to have been intentionally left. The exact takeoff weight of the airplane is unknown due to the postcrash fire.   During an NTSB postaccident examination of the airplane and engine, no mechanical malfunction or anomalies were found.  Given the lack of any mechanical deficiencies with the airplane, the grass-covered airstrip, and a stand of tall trees at the departure end of the site, it is likely the airplane collided with a tall tree during initial climb out, and subsequently the pilot lost control of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.