Helio H700 accident near Deadhorse, Alaska, March 26, 1995
On March 26, 1995 at about 8:44 pm local time, a Helio H700, registered N4059H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Deadhorse, Alaska (Deadhorse airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR RETENTION/LIMIT CABLE BRACKET BOLTS AND INSTALLATION OF NON-STANDARD BOLT HARDWARE BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF WAS A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 1995 · about 8:44 pm local time
- Place
- Deadhorse, Alaska · Deadhorse · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helio H700
- Registration
- N4059H · no longer on the register · serial H-9
- 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, WITH THREE PASSENGERS, WAS DEPARTING A REMOTE AIRSTRIP ON THE RETURN PORTION OF AN ON-DEMAND CHARTER FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE, EQUIPPED WITH WHEEL/SKIS, WAS BEING OPERATED WITH THE SKIS RETRACTED FROM A SNOW COVERED STRIP THAT WAS ABOUT 850 FEET LONG. DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR SKI CONTACTED THE SNOW, SLOWING THE AIRPLANE'S ACCELERATION AND PRODUCING A PULL TO THE RIGHT. THE PILOT APPLIED LEFT RUDDER CONTROL AND LEFT BRAKE PRESSURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. NEAR THE END OF THE TAKEOFF AREA, THE PILOT ROTATED THE AIRPLANE, HOWEVER, IT SETTLED SLIGHTLY AND THE RIGHT GEAR SKI TIP CONTACTED THE SNOW. THE RIGHT SKI MECHANISM WAS TORN FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE AND THE PILOT DECIDED TO PROCEED TO AN AIRPORT WHERE EMERGENCY RESCUE EQUIPMENT WAS AVAILABLE. DURING TOUCH DOWN AT THE DESTINATION RUNWAY, THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE FORWARD SKI LIMIT-CABLE BRACKET BOLTS WERE FOUND SHEARED. THREE OF THE BOLTS WERE NON-STANDARD HARDWARE INSTALLED BEFORE THE OPERATOR PURCHASED THE SKIS. THE LIMIT CABLE PREVENTS THE SKI TIP FROM PIVOTING DOWNWARD.
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: 6,200 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 41 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 5,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,121 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 20, 1994; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-32B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Forty (40) Mile Air LTD.
The flight
- Departed from: Finn Creek AK at 7:47 pm
- Destination: SCC
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 4, 6,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: -8°F (-22°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from SCC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 N4059H 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.