Helio H-295 N700HC

Summary

On 26 April 1996 at about 12:15 local time, a Helio H-295 registered N700HC was involved in an accident near Gaffney, South Carolina, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 April 1996 at 12:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Gaffney, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Hames Strip

Coordinates

35.0697, -81.6492

Aircraft

Helio H-295

Registration

N700HC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Cheraw

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA96FA130

1 person died.

failure of the pilot to remove the control lock during the preflight, and his failure to check the flight controls before taking off.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

During takeoff, the aircraft veered to the right and went off of the airstrip about 300 feet from the departure end, then it continued on a course parallel to the airstrip. The aircraft was reported to be in a tail-high, nose-low attitude, and the propeller was striking the ground. The aircraft was estimated to be traveling at about 89 knots at that time. Subsequently, the aircraft collided with a berm and became airborne, then it collided with trees and crashed into a ditch at the end of the airstrip. A postcrash fire erupted and further damaged the aircraft. Postcrash examination of the aircraft structure and engine did not show evidence of a precrash failure or malfunction; except during a check of the flight controls, the remains of a drywall screw were found in the control lock hole on the control column. This screw was locking the controls in an aircraft nose-down attitude. Members of the pilot's family and the mechanic, who maintained the aircraft, identified the drywall screw as the device used by the pilot to lock the controls on the ground.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.