Helio HT-295 accident near Marion, Ohio, January 5, 2025
On January 5, 2025 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 1974 Helio HT-295, registered N18JC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Marion, Ohio (Marion Municipal airport). It was a positioning 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the right main landing gear spring due to intergranular stress-corrosion cracking that progressed into fatigue. Contributing to the accident was the improper rework of the spring at an undetermined time.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 2025 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Marion, Ohio · Marion Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helio HT-295, built 1974 · all HT-295s on the register
- Registration
- N18JC · registry record · serial 1719
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, after a normal landing, the pilot heard a “pop” followed by a leaning tendency to the right that he attempted to correct with flight control inputs. He could not arrest the right turn, and the airplane departed the right side of the runway and came to a stop, upright, in the grass. The right wing and right stabilator sustained substantial damage. The right main landing gear spring separated during the landing roll. Metallurgical examination of the spring revealed evidence of chloride intergranular stress-corrosion cracking that progressed into fatigue over time. The examination also found evidence of the spring being reworked after manufacture, with grinding marks perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the part (contrary to manufacturer-approved procedures), areas of missing paint, and corrosion pitting. The operator reported that the spring had not been removed or reworked since they purchased the airplane more than 25 years before the accident.
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
What happened, in order
- Landing gear collapse during landing
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Modification/alteration › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 733 hours in all; 233 in this make and model; 166 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 607 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 6, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,933 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 2024; 227 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming GO-480-G1A6 (piston); 7,509 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DET Detroit MI at 8:00 pm
- Destination: BUF Buffalo NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,498 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 18 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from MNN
Weather report (METAR): KMNN 062153Z AUTO 01018G28KT 9SM OVC017 M04/M08 A2998 RMK AO2 PK WND 02031/2104 SLP170 T10441078
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ERA25LA091.