Pilot Debrief

HELIO H-295 near Healy, AK — 2009-03-14

Final reportANC09LA023
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Date
2009-03-14
Location
Healy, AK, USA
Airport
Z90
Aircraft
HELIO H-295
Registration
N6478V
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot's delay in initiating a climb while he was packing snow with the airplane's skis in preparation for landing, resulting in a collision with brush.

NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was on an on-demand air taxi passenger flight in a ski-equipped airplane. The pilot said that the accident occurred while he was packing snow at the landing site by laying down tracks with the airplane's skis in preparation for landing. During the last pass, he said that as the airplane lifted off the snow, the wings encountered high brush; when he pulled back on the elevator control to clear the brush, he said that he believed that the tail ski contacted the snow and dragged the airplane down into the brush. The pilot said that there were no known mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The fuselage and empennage sustained structural damage during the encounter with brush and terrain.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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