Helio H-250 accident near Tyler, Texas, August 26, 1988
On August 26, 1988 at about 11:30 pm local time, a Helio H-250, registered N444FF, was destroyed in an accident near Tyler, Texas. 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 1988 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Tyler, Texas
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helio H-250 · all H-250s on the register
- Registration
- N444FF · no longer on the register · serial 2508
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING FLIGHT, THE ENGINE STOPPED DEVELOPING POWER. THE FUEL WAS FEEDING FROM THE MAIN TANKS AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TRANSFER SOME FUEL FROM THE AUXILIARY TANKS TO THE MAINS BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO GET A RESTART. DURING THE FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A TELEPHONE POLE AND THE TERRAIN. INSPECTION REVEALED THE MAIN TANKS WERE EMPTY AND THE AUX TANKS CONTAINED FUEL.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,750 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TYR Tyler TX at 11:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 235° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 FTW88LA155.