Kaman Aerospace CORP K-1200 accident near Eagle, Colorado, August 22, 2025
On August 22, 2025 at about 10:15 pm local time, a 2018 Kaman Aerospace CORP K-1200 (helicopter), registered N171PL, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Eagle, Colorado. It was a firefighting flight under external-load helicopter rules (Part 133). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 22, 2025 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Eagle, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kaman Aerospace CORP K-1200, built 2018 · all K-1200s on the register
- Registration
- N171PL · registry record · serial A94-0047
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Firefighting flight · external-load helicopter rules (Part 133)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during a rotorcraft external load operation for firefighting, he was refilling the helicopter bucket at a lake. He stated that there had been wind gusts throughout the day and a right quartering tailwind of approximately 15 kts was present when he was refilling the bucket. He said that when another helicopter flew by his helicopter about 50-100 yds right and 150 ft above his position, he felt a push to the left. He pulled back on the cyclic control, but he could not recover the helicopter, which continued pitching to the left. The helicopter descended into the lake and sustained substantial to the main rotor blades. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 26,091 hours in all; 1,445 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 15, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,324.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 28, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 6,400 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Honeywell Aerospace T5317A-1 (turboshaft); 19,487 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from EGE, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 17, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.