Kaman K-1200 N224GM

Summary

On 21 April 1998 at about 17:30 local time, a Kaman K-1200 registered N224GM was involved in an accident near La Grande, Oregon, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 April 1998 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

La Grande, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

45.3194, -118.1991

Aircraft

Kaman K-1200

Registration

N224GM

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Starkey → La Grande

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA98LA065

Nobody was injured.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.'

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.