Helio H800 N4033G
1 September 2004 · Fossil, Oregon, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 1 September 2004 at about 19:35 local time, a Helio H800 registered N4033G, operated by John Frank Schmidt III, was involved in an accident near Fossil, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:35
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fossil, Oregon, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.8478, -120.4103
- Aircraft
- Helio H800
- Registration
- N4033G
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- John Frank Schmidt III
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Fossil → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA04LA178
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to remove the aileron wing gust locks prior to flight, which resulted in a loss of control during the descent/emergency landing. A factor contributing to the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Immediately after becoming airborne the pilot realized that he had failed to remove the exterior aileron wing locks. About 75 to 100 feet above ground level (AGL) the pilot reduced power and lowered the nose to maintain airspeed and a wings level attitude. About 75 feet AGL the left wing started to drop slowly and eventually impacted the ground at an approximate 30 to 35 degree left bank. A post crash examination of the accident site revealed the left and right aileron wing gust locks were located approximately 10 and 15 feet on the ground outboard of their respective wingtips.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Helio H800 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Jun 2003 | Helio H800 | Cody, Wyoming, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 1989 | Helio H800 | King Salmon, Alaska, United States | Nordgren, Alfred | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Mar 2004 | Cessna 172N | Creswell, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Mar 2004 | Piper PA-18 | Sisters, Oregon, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 2004 | Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A | Burns, Oregon, United States | United States Forest Service | No injuries | - |
| 4 Dec 2004 | Maule MX-7-235 | Hermiston, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 May 2004 | Cessna A185F | Molalla, Oregon, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Aug 2004 | Piper PA-24-260 | Redmond, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |