Kaman K-1200 accident near La Grande, Oregon, April 21, 1998
On April 21, 1998 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Kaman K-1200 (helicopter), registered N224GM, was substantially damaged in an accident near La Grande, Oregon. 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 inadvertent shutdown of the engine with the FUEL/OIL shutoff switch. Contributing to the accident were: the manufacturer's inadequate location and design of the FUEL/OIL shutoff switch; the FAA's inadequate determination of the type design's compliance with applicable airworthiness standards; and the helicopter's low altitude at the time of the power loss.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 1998 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- La Grande, Oregon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Kaman K-1200
- Registration
- N224GM · registry record · serial A94-0022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that after takeoff, when he attempted to turn the particle separator off about 200 feet above ground level, he immediately got a low fuel pressure indication and the engine then lost power. The helicopter touched down hard and rolled on its side in the ensuing forced landing. The pilot stated he believed he had inadvertently turned the fuel shutoff switch to OFF, rather than the particle separator switch. These two on-off switches are separated by about 2 inches on the instrument panel, and both actuate on and off in a common direction and along a common axis; the switches differ by shape only. In a post-accident examination, investigators found the FUEL/OIL switch OFF and the adjacent PART SEP switch ON. No evidence of pre-existing mechanical problems with the engine was reported. The K-1200 received normal-category FAA type certification in August 1994. FAA airworthiness standards for type certification of normal-category rotorcraft (contained in 14 CFR 27) require cockpit controls to be 'located to...prevent confusion and inadvertent operation', as well as 'means to guard against inadvertent operation of each shutoff.'
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,000 hours in all; 1,250 in this make and model; 11,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,936 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 17, 1998; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Allied Signal T53-17A1 (turboshaft); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Starkey OR at 5:30 pm
- Destination: La Grande OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 5 knots, gusting 10
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.