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ANC20CA092

2020-09-10 · Fairbanks, Alaska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N68857

Make / Model
HELIO H-295
Year of manufacture
1974 · 46 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING GO-480 SERIES (295 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19771018
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A92416

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s decision to initiate a right turn immediately after departure and his failure to maintain a proper crosswind correction, which resulted in a collision with terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during takeoff, in gusty wind conditions, from a remote unimproved airstrip that was located along a river, the takeoff roll was normal. After the airplane became airborne, he initiated a turn to the right, and the right wing dropped suddenly and impacted a “root wad”. The pilot recovered airplane control after the impact and continued the flight back to the base airport without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Crosswind correction-Not attained/maintained
  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on operation
  • — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2020_ANC20CA092.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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