Kaman Aerospace CORP K 1200 accident near Julian, California, March 13, 2017
On March 13, 2017, a 1998 Kaman Aerospace CORP K 1200 (helicopter), registered N675TH, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Julian, California. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 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 conduct a thru-flight walkaround inspection, which resulted in the engine cowling remaining open and subsequently separating from the helicopter and striking the main rotor blades and vertical stabilizer during departure.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2017 · cases in 2017
- Place
- Julian, California · 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 NO SERIES, built 1998 · all K 1200s on the register
- Registration
- N675TH · registry record · serial A94-0025
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the helicopter reported that he had landed and was going to reposition to another company landing zone after dropping off his crew chief. The pilot opened the engine cowling to allow the engine to cool before restart. However, the pilot did not perform a thru-flight walkaround inspection and climbed into the cockpit and took off. About 60 seconds after departure, he felt a large thump throughout the airframe and then landed as soon as practicable. Upon shutdown and inspection, he noticed that the engine cowling had departed the helicopter and struck the right two main rotor blades and the vertical stabilizer, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. In the recommendations section of the National Transportation Safety Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the pilot specified that the company has issued a policy that prohibits opening the engine cowling for the sole purpose of allowing the engine to cool. Additionally, the policy directed a pretakeoff helicopter inspection to be completed by a qualified technician.
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
- Part(s) separation from AC during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 4,760 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 15, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,820.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 28, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,200 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Honeywell T5317-A1 (turboshaft); 12,900 hours total
- Operator: Timberline Helicopters INC
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Julian CA at 2:00 pm
- Destination: PVT Julian CA
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KRNM, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – View of the damage to the engine cowling
Photo 2 – View of damage to the white blade
Photo 3 – View of damage to the vertical stabilizerThe 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 August 29, 2017. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos (Courtesy of Operator) | PDF, 3 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N675TH on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Kaman Aerospace Corp K-1200 17 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Honeywell T5317-A1 12 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in California 9,080 since 1982 · 1,096 in the last ten years
- California 28,158 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/GAA17CA146.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.