# Accident 20250822011389A: Kaman Aerospace Corp K-1200, Eagle, CO, August 22, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 22, 2025, 16:15 local time
- Place: Eagle, CO
- Airport: Eagle County Regional
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operator: C6HL
- Location: 39.6553° N, 106.8290° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.6553&lon=-106.8290&mi=10
- Aircraft: N171PL, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N171PL) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Kaman Aerospace K-1200 (registry code 13027LS, https://openairdocs.org/model/kaman-aerospace-k-1200) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Honeywell T5317A-1 (registry code 33859, https://openairdocs.org/engine/honeywell-t5317a-1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: KAMAN AEROSPACE CORP K-1200
- Reported engine: HONEYWELL T5317A-1
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 26,091 total, 1,445 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN25LA334](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA334) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250822011389A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON AUGUST 22ND 2025 A K-MAX HELICOPTER THAT WAS PARTICIPATING IN FIREFIGHTING OPERATIONS APPROACHED A POSITION  ABOVE A POND TO FILL UP THE EXTERNAL BUCKET. PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED NOSE FIRST INTO THE POD AND PILOT EXITED THE CRASHED AIRCRAFT WITH MINOR INJURIES. PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WERE NO ISSUES WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND CRASHED WAS CAUSED POTENTIALLY FROM THE  DOWNWARD FORCE FROM A NEARBY SKY CRANE AIRCRAFT. NEITHER RADAR OR ADS-B DATA COULD CONFIRM A SKY CRANE IN THE VICINITY OF THE K-MAX AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. AIRCRAFT HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED DUE TO FOREST SERVICE COMBATING THE FIRE IN THE AREA. AWAITING TIMEFRAME ON RECOVERY FROM FOREST SERVICE POC.

## 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 CEN25LA334](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA334), Aug 22, 2025: Kaman Aerospace K-1200 (N171PL), Eagle, CO, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and impact with terrain.

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.

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