Helio H-295-1400 accident near Deadhorse, Alaska, June 20, 2012
On June 20, 2012 at about 10:20 pm local time, a Helio H-295-1400, registered N295SC, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff (rejected takeoff) near Deadhorse, Alaska (Happy Valley airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to extend the airplane’s wing flaps before takeoff and her selection of an unsuitable takeoff area, which resulted in a collision with a concrete loading ramp during the aborted takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2012 · about 10:20 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Deadhorse, Alaska · Happy Valley · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helio H-295-1400 · all H-295-1400s on the register
- Registration
- N295SC · no longer on the register · serial 1461
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said that due to a strong westerly wind, she elected to takeoff from the east/west taxiway instead of using the north/south runway. Before departure, the pilot paced off her intended takeoff path and determined that she had a 1,200-foot-long, 200-foot-wide gravel surface that was free of obstructions. During the takeoff run, the weight shifted off the main wheels, but the tail of the airplane did not come up, and the airplane did not climb. The pilot aborted the takeoff and applied heavy braking, but the airplane drifted left of her intended path and struck a concrete loading ramp. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Photos provided by first responders revealed that the airplane’s flaps were in the up position upon arrival. The pilot reported that after the accident she did not retract the airplane’s wing flaps. Thus, due to the lack of mechanical anomalies with the airplane, the length of takeoff area, and the postaccident discovery of the flaps in the up position, it is likely that the pilot failed to properly configure the airplane’s wing flaps before takeoff.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff (rejected takeoff) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surfa › (general) › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,190 hours in all; 438 in this make and model; 73 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 2,547 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 13, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,844 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 29, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Jago River Holdings LLC
The flight
- Departed from: HPV Deadhorse AK at 5:20 pm
- Destination: PAFA Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on August 14, 2012. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N295SC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N295SC: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Helio H-295 54 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Helio 120 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480 246 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Fairbanks International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 823 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,143 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N295SC 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC12LA056.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.