Kaman K-1200 N171PL

Summary

On 22 August 2025 at about 22:15 local time, a Kaman K-1200 registered N171PL, operated by Columbia Basin Helicopter, was involved in an accident near Eagle, Colorado, 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

22 August 2025 at 22:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Eagle, Colorado, United States

Coordinates

39.6553, -106.8290

Aircraft

Kaman K-1200

Registration

N171PL

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2018

Engines

1

Operator

Columbia Basin Helicopter

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

Fire Fighting

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN25LA334

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that during a rotorcraft external load operation for firefighting, he was refilling the helicopter bucket at a lake. He stated that there had been wind gusts throughout the day and a right quartering tailwind of approximately 15 kts was present when he was refilling the bucket. He said that when another helicopter flew by his helicopter about 50-100 yds right and 150 ft above his position, he felt a push to the left. He pulled back on the cyclic control, but he could not recover the helicopter, which continued pitching to the left. The helicopter descended into the lake and sustained substantial to the main rotor blades. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.