What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 12, 2026, about 1705 mountain daylight time, a Kaman aerospace corporation K-1200 (k-max) helicopter, privacy data omitted, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at silver jack reservoir, Colorado. The pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 133 external load firefighting flight.
The helicopter was operated under a call-when-needed contract with the united states forest service (usfs) and had been conducting water bucket/fire suppression flight for the gold mountain fire in the uncompahgre wilderness of the north-central region of the san juan mountains in Colorado. The firefighting helicopter was equipped with a 660-gallon bambi max bucket with powerfill max suspended from the helicopter by a 150 ft long line.
According to the helicopter operator, at 1605 MDT, the helicopter departed on the firefighting mission from a remote helibase near ouray, Colorado, at coordinates 38.048140, -107.683880. According to available ADS-B track data, the helicopter initially flew north-northwest along hwy 550 toward ridgway, Colorado, before it turned northeast and flew to the north end of silver jack reservoir. The helicopter made a descending right 270° turn on the east side of the reservoir. The helicopter then flew to the north-northeast over the reservoir where it refilled its water bucket. The helicopter then conducted firefighting operations about 2.6 nautical miles (NM) south-southeast of the reservoir. Based on the available track data, the helicopter completed 5 water bucket drops over the forest fire.
At 1704:52 MDT, the last ADS-B data was recorded over the silver jack reservoir at coordinates 38.221115, -107.534297. The final uncorrected pressure altitude was 8,700 ft. the final gps-derived ellipsoidal altitude (aka geometric altitude) was 9,175 ft, which, when corrected for the distance between the ellipsoid and the geoid ( 50 ft ) was about 9,225 ft mean sea level (MSL). According to united states geological survey (usgs) data, at the time of the accident, the water level of the silver jack reservoir was at 8,881 ft MSL. As such, the helicopter was about 344 ft above the reservoir. With the helicopter’s 150 ft long line and 22 ft long water bucket and cable rigging, the bottom of the bucket was about 172 ft above the reservoir as of the final ADS-B return.
A review of the recovered appareo airs-400 parameter data was ongoing during the wreckage examination. A preliminary review of the recovered data indicated that the parameter data ended at 1705:22. The final recorded position was 38.2209658, -107.5340352.
There were two witnesses positioned on the dam at the north end of the reservoir. They reported seeing the helicopter enter the reservoir from the south and after refilling the water bucket. They got into a truck to investigate further when one of the witnesses saw the helicopter crash into the reservoir and become upside down in the water.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 12, 2026, ABOUT 1705 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A KAMAN AEROSPACE CORPORATION K-1200 (K-MAX) HELICOPTER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT SILVER JACK RESERVOIR, COLORADO. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 133 EXTERNAL LOAD FIREFIGHTING FLIGHT.
THE HELICOPTER WAS OPERATED UNDER A CALL-WHEN-NEEDED CONTRACT WITH THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE (USFS) AND HAD BEEN CONDUCTING WATER BUCKET/FIRE SUPPRESSION FLIGHT FOR THE GOLD MOUNTAIN FIRE IN THE UNCOMPAHGRE WILDERNESS OF THE NORTH-CENTRAL REGION OF THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS IN COLORADO. THE FIREFIGHTING HELICOPTER WAS EQUIPPED WITH A 660-GALLON BAMBI MAX BUCKET WITH POWERFILL MAX SUSPENDED FROM THE HELICOPTER BY A 150 FT LONG LINE.
ACCORDING TO THE HELICOPTER OPERATOR, AT 1605 MDT, THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED ON THE FIREFIGHTING MISSION FROM A REMOTE HELIBASE NEAR OURAY, COLORADO, AT COORDINATES 38.048140, -107.683880. ACCORDING TO AVAILABLE ADS-B TRACK DATA, THE HELICOPTER INITIALLY FLEW NORTH-NORTHWEST ALONG HWY 550 TOWARD RIDGWAY, COLORADO, BEFORE IT TURNED NORTHEAST AND FLEW TO THE NORTH END OF SILVER JACK RESERVOIR. THE HELICOPTER MADE A DESCENDING RIGHT 270° TURN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RESERVOIR. THE HELICOPTER THEN FLEW TO THE NORTH-NORTHEAST OVER THE RESERVOIR WHERE IT REFILLED ITS WATER BUCKET. THE HELICOPTER THEN CONDUCTED FIREFIGHTING OPERATIONS ABOUT 2.6 NAUTICAL MILES (NM) SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE RESERVOIR. BASED ON THE AVAILABLE TRACK DATA, THE HELICOPTER COMPLETED 5 WATER BUCKET DROPS OVER THE FOREST FIRE.
AT 1704:52 MDT, THE LAST ADS-B DATA WAS RECORDED OVER THE SILVER JACK RESERVOIR AT COORDINATES 38.221115, -107.534297. THE FINAL UNCORRECTED PRESSURE ALTITUDE WAS 8,700 FT. THE FINAL GPS-DERIVED ELLIPSOIDAL ALTITUDE (AKA GEOMETRIC ALTITUDE) WAS 9,175 FT, WHICH, WHEN CORRECTED FOR THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ELLIPSOID AND THE GEOID ( 50 FT ) WAS ABOUT 9,225 FT MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). ACCORDING TO UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS) DATA, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE WATER LEVEL OF THE SILVER JACK RESERVOIR WAS AT 8,881 FT MSL. AS SUCH, THE HELICOPTER WAS ABOUT 344 FT ABOVE THE RESERVOIR. WITH THE HELICOPTER’S 150 FT LONG LINE AND 22 FT LONG WATER BUCKET AND CABLE RIGGING, THE BOTTOM OF THE BUCKET WAS ABOUT 172 FT ABOVE THE RESERVOIR AS OF THE FINAL ADS-B RETURN.
A REVIEW OF THE RECOVERED APPAREO AIRS-400 PARAMETER DATA WAS ONGOING DURING THE WRECKAGE EXAMINATION. A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF THE RECOVERED DATA INDICATED THAT THE PARAMETER DATA ENDED AT 1705:22. THE FINAL RECORDED POSITION WAS 38.2209658, -107.5340352.
THERE WERE TWO WITNESSES POSITIONED ON THE DAM AT THE NORTH END OF THE RESERVOIR. THEY REPORTED SEEING THE HELICOPTER ENTER THE RESERVOIR FROM THE SOUTH AND AFTER REFILLING THE WATER BUCKET. THEY GOT INTO A TRUCK TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER WHEN ONE OF THE WITNESSES SAW THE HELICOPTER CRASH INTO THE RESERVOIR AND BECOME UPSIDE DOWN IN THE WATER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.