Hughes 500D accident near Paxson, Alaska, July 18, 1995
On July 18, 1995 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Hughes 500D (helicopter), registered N8639F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paxson, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FUEL STARVATION DUE TO ACRYLAMIDE CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL CONTROL INLET FILTER. THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 18, 1995 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Paxson, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Hughes 500D
- Registration
- N8639F · no longer on the register · serial 1288431D
- 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 HELICOPTER PILOT WAS TRANSPORTING A GEOLOGIST IN A REMOTE AREA. AFTER DEPARTING FROM A PICKUP SITE THAT WAS AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 5,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, THE PILOT NOTICED A DECREASE IN MAIN ROTOR RPM, AND THE NOSE OF THE HELICOPTER YAWED. THE PILOT DECREASED COLLECTIVE PITCH, BUT ENGINE POWER AND ROTOR RPM CONTINUED TO DECREASE. THE PILOT TURNED THE HELICOPTER TOWARD LOWER TERRAIN AND INTO THE WIND, THEN PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION ON TUNDRA COVERED TERRAIN. DURING TOUCHDOWN, THE HELICOPTER HIT THE GROUND HARD, AND THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED BY THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AFTER LANDING. AN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE FUEL CONTROL ASSEMBLY REVEALED THE PRESENCE OF ACRYLAMIDE CONTAMINATION IN THE FUEL INLET FILTER.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 13,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,201 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 5, 1995; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allison 250-C20-B (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Summit Lake AK at 3:20 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.