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ANC89LA171

1989-09-20 · NEAR ILIAMNA, Alaska, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Current FAA registration · N5450E

Make / Model
HELIO H-250
Engine
LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES (250 hp)
Seats / Engines
6 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19650320
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A6ECDC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION BY THE PILOT AND HIS CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARKNESS AND ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

Factual narrative

THE PLT DID NOT RECEIVE A WX BRIEFING FOR THE RETURN FLT, BECAUSE HE HAD JUST FLOWN OVER THE AREA. DURING THE RETURN FLT, HE ENCOUNTERED OBSCURED CEILINGS, REDUCED VISIBILITIES, HEAVY RAIN, FREEZING RAIN, & SEVERE TURBULENCE. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THE ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED IN A SWAMP & CREEK AT NIGHT. HE STATED HE HAD SLOWED THE ACFT TO 25 TO 30 KTS, WHEN THE ACFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE SLID APRX 40 FT TO A STOP. THE FLT VISIBILITY WAS RPRTD TO BE ZERO, WHEN THE ACFT CONTACTED THE GROUND. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_ANC89LA171.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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