Helio H 250 accident near Arctic Village, Alaska, September 19, 2014
On September 19, 2014 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Helio H 250, registered N333TB, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Arctic Village, Alaska. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing/takeoff area, resulting in an inflight collision with terrain during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2014 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Arctic Village, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helio H 250 NO SERIES · all H 250s on the register
- Registration
- N333TB · registry record · serial 2530
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was departing from a remote, gravel-covered, 800-foot long off-airport site, in a tailwheel-equipped airplane. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident the airplane had been loaded at, or near the airplane's maximum gross weight limit. He said that shortly after the airplane became airborne, the tailwheel contacted an area of rising terrain causing the airplane to lose airspeed. The airplane subsequently collided with terrain at the departure end of the site, sustaining substantial damage to the fuselage and empennage. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Maximum weight › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Awareness of condition
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › (general) › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,570 hours in all; 924 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 37 in the last 30 days; 1,503 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 12, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,370 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 23, 2014
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1B5 (piston); 2,596 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Arctic Village AK
- Destination: CRC Circle AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,000 ft; ovct at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.36 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from PARC, 74 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N333TB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ANC14CA087.