Helio H-391B N25BA

Summary

On 2 June 2001 at about 17:30 local time, a Helio H-391B registered N25BA, operated by Aurora Venturs Inc., was involved in an accident near Anvik, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 June 2001 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Anvik, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

62.8694, -160.7428

Aircraft

Helio H-391B

Registration

N25BA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aurora Venturs Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Anvik → Anvik

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC01LA066

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's continued operation of the accident airplane with known equipment deficiencies, and an improper installation of the float assembly by maintenance personnel. A factor in the accident was the pilot's delay in aborting the takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private certificated pilot was departing a river in a float-equipped airplane. During the takeoff run, the airplane came up on-step, but started to veer to the left. The pilot was holding full right rudder, but the airplane continued to turn left. He aborted the takeoff, but the left float collided with the bank of the river, and the right wing struck a tree. The airplane received damage to the left float assembly, the fuselage at the forward left float attach point, and the leading edge wing slat of the right wing. The float assembly was installed the previous month, 11.5 hours before the accident under a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). Since the float installation, the pilot said he had trouble obtaining full right rudder travel of the aerodynamic rudder. After the accident, a mechanic found an incorrect set of springs, as part of the water rudder/aerodynamic rudder rigging, installed on the airplane. An FAA airworthiness inspector reviewed the tail spring concerns raised by the pilot. She found that the float installation STC specified the use of D-376 water rudder steering springs. Due to the lack of immediate availability, the installer used Scott 3200 tailwheel steering springs. The installer told the FAA inspector that due to the similarity of the two spring sets, he has utilized Scott 3200 tailwheel springs in the past on other float installations, utilizing FAA field approvals, and substitution of the springs have been widely used in the floatplane industry. In this case, the installer did not obtain an FAA field approval. The installer told the FAA that when the floats were installed on the accident airplane, the rigging of the water and aerodynamic rudders allowed proper movement of each assembly. The installer reported that the difference in the two spring assemblies, as measured by applying a 40 pound weight to each set, was 3/8 inch further extension of the D-376 springs.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.