Helio H-800 accident near Foley, Minnesota, May 2, 1994
On May 2, 1994 at about 1:20 am local time, a Helio H-800, registered N4104D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Foley, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO PERFORM ACCURATE FUEL CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS. A FACTOR WAS THE SOFT GRAVEL ROAD LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 1994 · about 1:20 am local time
- Place
- Foley, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helio H-800
- Registration
- N4104D · no longer on the register · serial H-17
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 2.3 HOURS AFTER HIS INITIAL DEPARTURE WITH 45 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE AMPHIBIOUS FLOAT EQUIPPED AIRPLANE. HIS ESTIMATION OF FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS 39 GALLONS PER HOUR (GPH) AT TAKEOFF POWER AND 23 GPH AT CRUISE. SEVERAL TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS WERE PERFORMED DURING THE FLIGHT. WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURRED AND A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE ON A GRAVEL ROAD. DURING LANDING, THE FLOAT NOSE WHEELS DUG INTO SOFT GRAVEL AND THE AIRPLANE FLIPPED OVER. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO ENGINE ANOMOLIES, NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL IN THE TANKS, NOR ANY INDICATION OF FUEL SPILLAGE ON THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED HE BELIEVED HE EXHAUSTED HIS FUEL SUPPLY.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 446 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 886 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 29, 1993; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720 A/B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PNM Princeton MN at 1:15 am
- Destination: Long Lake MN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 am from STC, 10 miles away
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 N4104D 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.