Helio H 295 accident near Delta Junction, Alaska, September 13, 2015
On September 13, 2015 at about 4:40 pm local time, a 1969 Helio H 295, registered N6464V, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Delta Junction, Alaska. It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power during takeoff for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 2015 · about 4:40 pm local time · cases in 2015
- Place
- Delta Junction, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helio H 295, built 1969 · all H 295s on the register
- Registration
- N6464V · registry record · serial 1414
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot was departing on the air taxi flight from a remote, unimproved airstrip estimated to be about 850 ft long with 800 ft usable. He stated that the airplane seemed to accelerate normally but failed to become airborne at the departure end of the runway. The airplane impacted brush and trees, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot suggested that the engine may not have been producing full power because, during a previous flight from the airstrip with a similar load, the airplane became airborne in about 600 ft. A review of the airplane's takeoff performance data revealed a takeoff ground run of about 480 ft for the conditions at the time of the accident. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a missing hose clamp on the scat tube that joins the air filter assembly to the air box; however, a postaccident engine run revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane's engine or systems.
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 engine power (partial) during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 450 in the last 90 days; 170 in the last 30 days; 19,950 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 24, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,888 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 26, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wright Air Service
The flight
- Departed from: Delta Junction AK
- Destination: PAFA Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PABI, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 24, 2017. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Helio Parts Manual Excerpt | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | 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 N6464V 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
- N6464V on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Helio H-295 54 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Helio 120 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480 SERIES 246 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Fairbanks International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Alaska 5,932 since 1982 · 825 in the last ten years
- Alaska 9,142 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N6464V 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/ANC15LA070.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.