Heliotech H-250 accident near Woodville, Texas, May 1, 2006
On May 1, 2006 at about 1:15 am local time, a Heliotech H-250, registered N777LF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Woodville, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with obstructions at the departure end of the airstrip during an aborted landing. A contributing factor was dusk light conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 1, 2006 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Woodville, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Heliotech H-250
- Registration
- N777LF · registry record · serial 2535
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The 473-hour private pilot of the single-engine tail-wheel equipped airplane completed a local 35-minute flight. Upon returning to his private 1,800-foot long by 80-foot wide grass airstrip, the pilot executed a successful stop-and-go landing, and then elected to stay in the pattern. During the second approach, while landing to the north (runway 35) at about 2015 local time, the pilot touched down long and decided he did not have sufficient runway to stop, so he elected to add power to abort the landing. The STOL airplane became airborne; however, the airplane was not able to clear the trees at the departure end of the airstrip. The airplane impacted trees and terrain and came to rest about 510 feet beyond the departure end of the airstrip. The left wing separated from the airframe. The pilot, who had accumulated 173 hours in the make and model, reported no mechanical problems with the airplane. The weather was clear and the wind was calm at the time of the mishap.
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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 473 hours in all; 173 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 301 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,438 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Woodville TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway PVT, 1,800 ft by 80 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N777LF 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.