Helio HE-3/H-295 accident near Arctic Village, Alaska, August 9, 1990
On August 9, 1990 at about 1:05 am local time, a Helio HE-3/H-295, registered N6481V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arctic Village, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMANDS IMPROPER FLARE DURING A FORCED LANDING RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 9, 1990 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Arctic Village, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helio HE-3/H-295
- Registration
- N6481V · no longer on the register · serial 1435
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD REDUCED POWER TO MAKE A LOW PASS OVER A POTENTIAL FUTURE LANDING AREA. WHEN POWER WAS REAPPLIED, THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. A HARD LANDING ON THE GRAVEL BAR RESULTED. AFTER RECOVERY, THE ENGINE STARTED AND RAN WITH NO OBVIOUS PROBLEMS. NO REASON WAS FOUND FOR THE POWER LOSS.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 267 in the last 90 days; 99 in the last 30 days; 7,790 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,125 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 10, 1990; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480-G106 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wright Air Service, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Sheenjek River AK at 7:45 pm
- Destination: FAI Fairbanks AK
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:05 pm
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 N6481V the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.