Pilot Debrief

HELIO H-295 near Delta Junction, AK — 2016-09-26

Final reportANC16LA071
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Date
2016-09-26
Location
Delta Junction, AK, USA
Aircraft
HELIO H-295
Registration
N68857
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Takeoff roll

Probable cause

The pilot’s decision to take off from a wet, snowy airstrip and his delayed decision to abort the takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion.

NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was departing from an 800-ft-long remote, unimproved airstrip that had accumulated between 1 and 2 inches of wet snow. He stated that the airplane seemed to accelerate normally but that it failed to become airborne at his established go/no-go decision point (about 400 ft down the airstrip). With about one-third of the airstrip remaining, he realized that, if he rejected the takeoff, he would be unable to stop the airplane on the remaining airstrip due to the wet snow. So, the pilot chose to continue the takeoff through the low brush at the end of the airstrip. The airplane became airborne, settled back to the ground, and then became airborne again. The main landing gear impacted brush on a small embankment, and the airplane then began to settle. The pilot saw a clear area ahead of the airstrip that led into a creek bed; he reduced the power to idle and held full-aft pressure on the control yoke. The airplane settled to the surface in a three-point attitude and came to rest in the creek bed, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. The pilot stated there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Controlled flight into terrain
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have rejected takeoff at go/no-go decision point due to snow conditions.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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