# Accident 19980127000649A: Kaman K1200, Bloomfield, CT, January 27, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 27, 1998, 11:50 local time - Place: Bloomfield, CT - Airport: Kaman Aerospace Corp Heliport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Autorot Descent (Rotorcraft) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 41.8620° N, 72.6998° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at Kaman Aerospace Corp Heliport (CT05), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.8620&lon=-72.6998&mi=10 - Aircraft: N135KA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N135KA-2001-03-26) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Kaman Aerospace K-1200 (registry code 13027LS, https://openairdocs.org/model/kaman-aerospace-k-1200) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: KAMAN K1200 - Reported engine: LYC T5317A - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 9,600 total, 9 in this make and model, 13 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98LA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA024) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980127000649A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. FAA ON FAMILERIZATION FLIGHT. DURING HOVERING AUTOROTATION DRIFTED. TOUCHED DOWN LEFT MAIN GEAR AND ROLLED OVER. (.19) ON JANUARY 27, 1998, AT 1150 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A KAMAN K-1200, N135KA, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING A HOVERING AUTOROTATION AT THE KAMAN AEROSPACE PLANT, BLOOMFIELD, CONNECTICUT. THE CERTIFICATED AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND ORIGINATED AT BLOOMFIELD, CONNECTICUT. THE PILOT, A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) SAFETY INSPECTOR FROM THE SOUTHWEST REGIONAL ROTORCRAFT CERTIFICATION OFFICE, SAID THAT THIS WAS A FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT. HE SAID ON HIS FIRST FLIGHT, HE PRACTICED TAKEOFFS, LANDINGS, HOVERING, AND TWO HOVERING AUTOROTATIONS SUCCESSFULLY. HE SAID THAT HE HAD TO DISCONTINUE HIS MANEUVERS IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN DUE TO ANOTHER AIRPLANE IN THE PATTERN, SO HE REQUESTED TO USE THE PAD NEAR THE PLANT. DURING A HOVERING AUTOROTATION MANEUVER FROM 5 FEET AGL, THE HELICOPTER DRIFTED TO THE LEFT. DESPITE HIS EFFORTS OF CORRECTING WITH RIGHT CYCLIC, THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN ON T E LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR, FOLLOWED BY THE NOSEWHEEL, ROLLED OVER, AND CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE HELICOPTER HAD ACCUMULATED OVER 12 FLIGHT HOURS, AND HE HAD OVER 9 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN MAKE AND MODEL. ACCORDING TO AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE WINDSOR LOCKS FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE HELICOPTER OR ENGINE, AND THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY. (.4)THE PILOT WAS ON A FAMILARIZATION 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 HELICOPATER 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 WRECK AGE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION WITH THE HELICOPTER OR ENGINE, AND THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY. (-23) ON JANUARY 27, 1998 AT 1150 EST, N135KA A KAMAN K-1200 HELICOPTER WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND DURING A HOVERING AUTOROTATION AT THE KAMAN AEROSPACE PLANT, BLOOMFIELD, CT. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED, A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED, THE PILOT WAS ON A FAR PART 91 FAMILIARIZATION FLIGHT. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED NO MECHANICAL DEFICIENCIES THAT WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE ACCIDENT. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB IAD98LA024](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA024), Jan 27, 1998: Kaman K-1200 (N135KA), Bloomfield, CT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control during autorotation, which resulted in an unleveled attitude touchdown, roll over, and collision with the ground. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.