Helio H-295 accident near Fort Yukon, Alaska, August 23, 1997
On August 23, 1997 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Helio H-295, registered N6465V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Yukon, Alaska. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind 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
failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the airplane, which resulted in a swerve and collision with a tree as the pilot continued the takeoff, subsequently jamming the stabilator and causing the plane to crash in water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1997 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Yukon, 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 · all H-295s on the register
- Registration
- N6465V · registry record · serial 1417
- 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
An on-demand passenger flight was departing a 1,000 foot long gravel bar in a southbound direction from a remote area of a river. The area had been used by the operator in the past. The pilot was picking up two passengers from a river float trip. During the takeoff run, the airplane had just attained flying speed, and suddenly veered to the right. The airplane lifted off, and attained a nose high pitch attitude. The tail struck a tree along the edge of the gravel bar, jamming the stabilator. The pilot pushed forward on the flight controls, but was unable to lower the nose of the airplane. The airplane climbed to about 100 feet above the ground, then stalled and descended toward the river. Subsequently, it collided with the river and came to rest in about 3 feet of water. The airplane received damage to the right main landing gear, elevator, fuselage, and engine.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 237 in this make and model; 365 in the last 90 days; 130 in the last 30 days; 11,700 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,519 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 22, 1997; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480-G1D6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wright Air Service
The flight
- Departed from: ARC Arctic Village AK at 4:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N6465V 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.