Helio H-391B accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming, May 24, 2002
On May 24, 2002 at about 6:03 pm local time, a Helio H-391B, registered N25BA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cheyenne, Wyoming (Cheyenne airport). 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain directional control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2002 · about 6:03 pm local time
- Place
- Cheyenne, Wyoming · Cheyenne · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Helio H-391B · all H-391Bs on the register
- Registration
- N25BA · registry record · serial 011
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said there was "a slight crosswind from the left at 10 knots" as he rolled out onto the right side of runway 26 (9,200 feet x 150 feet, concrete, grooved). As the tail wheel lifted off and the front gear started getting "light," a gust of wind started turning the airplane into the wind. Just prior to liftoff, the right gear collapsed and the airplane veered off the runway, buckling the right forward fuselage and firewall. Wind at the time of the accident was from 190 degrees at 13 knots.
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: 230 hours in all; 143 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 172 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming G0-435C2B2-6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CYS Cheyenne WY at 5:45 pm
- Destination: LGU Logan UT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 26, 9,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 6:05 pm from CYS
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 N25BA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN02LA048.