Kaman K-1200 accident near Bloomfield, Connecticut, January 27, 1998
On January 27, 1998 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Kaman K-1200 (helicopter), registered N135KA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bloomfield, Connecticut (Kaman Aerospace airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control during autorotation, which resulted in an unleveled attitude touchdown, roll over, and collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 27, 1998 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomfield, Connecticut · Kaman Aerospace
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kaman K-1200
- Registration
- N135KA · registry record · serial 094-023
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was on a familiarization flight of a new helicopter. He had successfully completed hovering, several takeoffs and landings, and two hovering autorotations. He had to discontinue his maneuvers in the traffic pattern due to traffic, so he requested to use the pad near the plant. During a hovering autorotation at 5 feet AGL, the helicopter suddenly drifted to the left. Despite his efforts correcting with right cyclic, the helicopter continued to roll to the left. It touched down on the left main landing gear, followed by the nosewheel, and came to rest on its left side. Of the 12 hours the helicopter had accumulated, the pilot had 9 hours in this make and model. Examination of the wreckage did not disclose any evidence of mechanical malfunction with the helicopter or engine, and the pilot did not report any.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,600 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 7,000 as pilot in command; 4,800 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, November 19, 1997; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T53 17A-1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CT05 Bloomfield CT at 4:11 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from BDL, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number IAD98LA024.