Helio HT-295 N18JC

Summary

On 5 January 2025 at about 22:00 local time, a Helio HT-295 registered N18JC was involved in an accident near Marion, Ohio, 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

5 January 2025 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Marion, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Marion Municipal (MNN)

Coordinates

40.6171, -83.0610

Aircraft

Helio HT-295

Registration

N18JC

Category

Airplane

Year built

1974

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Detroit → Buffalo

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA25LA091

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the right main landing gear spring due to intergranular stress-corrosion cracking that progressed into fatigue. Contributing to the accident was the improper rework of the spring at an undetermined time.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, after a normal landing, the pilot heard a “pop” followed by a leaning tendency to the right that he attempted to correct with flight control inputs. He could not arrest the right turn, and the airplane departed the right side of the runway and came to a stop, upright, in the grass. The right wing and right stabilator sustained substantial damage. The right main landing gear spring separated during the landing roll. Metallurgical examination of the spring revealed evidence of chloride intergranular stress-corrosion cracking that progressed into fatigue over time. The examination also found evidence of the spring being reworked after manufacture, with grinding marks perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the part (contrary to manufacturer-approved procedures), areas of missing paint, and corrosion pitting. The operator reported that the spring had not been removed or reworked since they purchased the airplane more than 25 years before the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.