Kaman K-1200 accident near Bloomfield, Connecticut, November 14, 2001
On November 14, 2001 at about 8:43 pm local time, a Kaman K-1200 (helicopter), registered N361KA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bloomfield, Connecticut (Kaman Aerospace Corp Helipad airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control while hovering. A factor related to the accident was the pilots lack of experience in type of aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 14, 2001 · about 8:43 pm local time
- Place
- Bloomfield, Connecticut · Kaman Aerospace Corp Helipad · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kaman K-1200
- Registration
- N361KA · registry record · serial A94-0032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the helicopter descended towards the ground during hovering autorotation maneuvers, the pilot applied aft cyclic, and the helicopter began to drift rearward. The pilot increased the collective to stop the decent, and began to concentrate on the aft drift, when the helicopter touched down on the right main and nose landing gear. The pilot added left cyclic to level the helicopter, but due to low rotor rpm, the control input had little effect. The helicopter began to roll to the right, and the main rotor blades impacted the ground. The helicopter came to rest on its right side. According to the pilot's flight instructor, the accident flight was the pilot's fifth flight of the day, with the first four dual instructional flights being conducted in a Kaman H-43. The last flight was to be conducted solo in the K-1200. The pilot had previously flown the K-1200 four times.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 12,000 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming T53-17A-1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CT05 Bloomfield CT at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from BDL, 355 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.
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.