Helio H-295 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, September 17, 2023
On September 17, 2023 at about 1:35 am local time, a 1970 Helio H-295, registered N713C, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Fairbanks, Alaska. It was a business flight under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 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 encounter with windshear during initial climb out, which resulted in a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 17, 2023 · about 1:35 am local time
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helio H-295, built 1970 · all H-295s on the register
- Registration
- N713C · registry record · serial 1438
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during takeoff from a remote site surrounded by trees, he encountered windshear and a gusting tailwind during the initial climb. He said that once the airplane climbed above tree level, the airplane stopped climbing, lost altitude, and then struck a stand of trees at the departure end of the site, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Windshear or thunderstorm during initial climb defining event
- Other weather encounter during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Windshear › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,200 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 264 in the last 90 days; 102 in the last 30 days; 10,200 as pilot in command; 60 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 13, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,334.3 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 1, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480-G2D6 (piston); 800 hours total
- Operator: Wright Air Service INC
The flight
- Destination: Fairbanks (Nome Creek) AK
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.06 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from AEI, 29 miles away
Weather report (METAR): PAEI 170055Z AUTO 09009KT 10SM FEW070 BKN100 14/00 A2906 RMK AO2 SLP846 T01410003 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N713C 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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ANC23LA082.