Helio Aircraft LTD H800 accident near Fossil, Oregon, September 1, 2004
On September 1, 2004 at about 7:35 pm local time, a Helio Aircraft LTD H800, registered N4033G, was destroyed in an accident near Fossil, Oregon. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to remove the aileron wing gust locks prior to flight, which resulted in a loss of control during the descent/emergency landing. A factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 1, 2004 · about 7:35 pm local time
- Place
- Fossil, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Helio Aircraft LTD H800 · all H800s on the register
- Registration
- N4033G · no longer on the register · serial H-1
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Immediately after becoming airborne the pilot realized that he had failed to remove the exterior aileron wing locks. About 75 to 100 feet above ground level (AGL) the pilot reduced power and lowered the nose to maintain airspeed and a wings level attitude. About 75 feet AGL the left wing started to drop slowly and eventually impacted the ground at an approximate 30 to 35 degree left bank. A post crash examination of the accident site revealed the left and right aileron wing gust locks were located approximately 10 and 15 feet on the ground outboard of their respective wingtips.
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
- Flight time: 3,213 hours in all; 626 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 3,213 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 9, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 899.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 14, 2004; 38.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Avco Lycoming IO-720-AlB (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Fossil OR at 7:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 18 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from RDM, 54 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.
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.