Pilatus PC-6 (Porter & Turbo Porter)

Enrique Aurelio Parada Lanza

Shortly after takeoff from Maturín-José Tadeo Monagas Airport, while in initial climb, the engine apparently failed. The aircraft lost height, collided with trees and came to rest against a concrete wall. The pilot was seriously injured.

Skydive Pull Out Ravenna

The crew departed Ravenna-La Spreta Airport in the morning on a local training flight consisting of a licence renewal for one of the pilots. En route, in unclear circumstances, the single engine aircraft went out of control and crashed at the bottom of a building located about 1,400 metres south of the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and both occupants were killed.

Sky Team Cremona

The single engine airplane departed Cremona-Migliaro Airport in the morning on a local skydiving flight, carrying eight skydivers and one pilot. After the assigned altitude was reached, seven skydivers successively jumped. When the last skydiver attempted to jump, an unexpected situation occurred, maybe he collided with the aircraft when he evacuated the cabin. Out of control, the aircraft entered a spin and crashed in a cornfield located in Livrasco, about 2 km north of Cremona Airfield. Both pilot and skydiver were killed.

Royal Thai Air Force - Kong Thap Akat Thai

The single engine airplane departed Pattani (9th AF Command) at 1156LT bound for the Wing 56 Air Division 4 located at Hat Yai Airport. En route, the crew encountered technical problems with the engine and attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed in a banana plantation located in the region of Wat Bang Sala. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

École de Parachutisme de Besançon Franche-Comté

The pilot, accompanied by an aircraft mechanic, departed Grenoble-Aples-Isère Airport (saint-Geoirs) to carry out a check flight following a maintenance operation on the airplane. Once in an open area south of the aerodrome, the pilot began the maneuvers provided for in the test program. At the end of a stall maneuver, he found that his actions on the rudder pedals have no effect. However, it maintained control of the ailerons and elevators. He informed the aerodrome controller of the problem and indicated that he was coming back to to land to the paved runway 09. Unable to determined the exact nature of the damage, the pilot chose to land with the flaps retracted. He managed with difficulty to aligne the airplane witn the runway 09 centerline. On final, at an altitude of 300 feet, the pilot changed his mind and decided to land on the unpaved right-hand runway 09 which adjoins the paved runway. On very short final, at flare, while reducing power, at a height of about 1-2 metres, the airplane rolled to the right then to the left, causing the wing tips and the propeller to struck the ground. The aircraft exited the unpaved runway to the left and came to rest on the right edge of the paved runway. Both occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Associated Mission Aviation - AMA

The single engine aircraft departed Wamena Airport at 1100LT with three passengers, two pilots and 508 kg of various goods. About 10 minutes later, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain at an altitude of 2,300 metres. It was scheduled to arrive at Derakma at 1125LT. The wreckage was found a day later by the crew of a helicopter. All five occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, VMC conditions prevailed.

Homovolants

The pilot, sole on board, was returning to Cecina Airfield following a skydiving flight in the area. After touchdown on a grassy area, the single engine aircraft veered to the left, impacted a drainage ditch and came to rest. The pilot escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Highland Air

The commercial pilot was conducting a cross-country flight to a family residence in the turbinepowered, single-engine airplane. The pilot was familiar with the route, which traversed a mountain pass and remote terrain. Before departing on the flight, the pilot communicated with a family member at the residence via text messages and was aware the weather was windy but that the mountain tops were clear. There was no record of the pilot obtaining a preflight weather briefing from an official, accesscontrolled source, and the pilot indicated to a friend before departure that he had not accessed weather cameras. Weather forecast products that were available to the pilot revealed possible turbulence at low altitudes and icing at altitudes above 12,000 ft along the route of flight, and weather cameras along the planned route and near the destination would have indicated deteriorating visibility in snow showers and mountain obscuration starting about 1.5 hours before departure. The airplane departed and proceeded toward the destination; radar data correlated to the accident flight indicated that the airplane climbed from 4,600 ft to 14,700 ft before turning west over the mountains. Text messages that the pilot sent during the initial climb revealed that the mountain pass he planned to fly through was obscured, and he intended to climb over the mountains and descend through holes in the clouds as he neared the destination. Radar data also indicated that the airplane operated above 12,500 ft mean sea level (msl) for about 30 minutes, and above 14,000 msl for an additional 14 minutes before entering a gradual descent during the last approximate 20 minutes of flight. Review of weather information indicated that cloud layers over the accident area increased during the 30 minutes before the accident, and it is likely that the airplane was operating in icing conditions, although it was not certified for flight in such conditions, which may have resulted in structural or induction icing and an uncontrolled loss of altitude. The airplane wreckage came to rest on the steep face of a snow-covered mountain in a slight nose-down, level attitude. The empennage was intact, the right wing was completely separated, and the forward fuselage and cockpit were partially separated and displaced from the airframe with significant crush damage, indicative of impact with terrain during forward flight. Page 2 of 10 ANC17FA004 There was no indication that the airplane was equipped with supplemental oxygen; pilots are required to use oxygen when operating at altitudes above 12,500 ft for more than 30 minutes, and anytime at altitudes above 14,000 ft. It could not be determined if, or to what extent, the pilot may have experienced symptoms of hypoxia that would have affected his decision-making. The airplane wreckage was not recovered or examined due to hazardous terrain and environmental conditions, and the reason for the impact with terrain could not be determined; however, it is likely that deteriorating enroute weather and icing conditions contributed to the outcome of the accident.

Grupo Seven Air

On the afternoon of the 19th of June 2016 a Pilatus PC-6 aircraft, German registration DFSCB, took off from the airfield of Figueira dos Cavaleiros (LPFC) for its 17th launch of skydivers that day. On this flight there were 8 persons on board: 1 pilot, 5 skydivers and 2 passengers that were jumping in tandem with two of the skydivers. The meteorology featured a day with clear sky, the wind blew from 040° with 10 kt and the air temperature was around 32° C. The Pilatus took off for a local skydiving training flight and started a climb to an altitude of 14.500 ft. During the initial climb at a rate of 1.000 feet per minute, when crossing 7.000 feet above mean sea level, according to some of the skydivers in the group, a sound similar to the cracking/ripping of a metal structure was heard, and simultaneously the aircraft pitched up to a high nose-up attitude while yawing to the right, causing a severe flight instability. Suddenly, the entire rear fuselage structure disintegrated. According to the reports, some occupants were pushed against the structure of the aircraft before they were thrown outside. During the following seconds the skydivers who did not suffer serious injuries, managed to jump out of the plane and triggered their parachutes. Two of them were seriously injured before leaving the aircraft, their emergency parachutes being automatically deployed by the barometric opening mechanism. As a result, the disintegration of the remaining aircraft parts continued until the impact with the ground. Fragments of the aircraft parts were found over a length of approximately 1.500 meters and a width of about 500 meters and were widely dispersed, with an alignment with the direction of flight from west to east. The pilot was thrown out of the remains of the cockpit and hit the ground at about 400 meters from the impact site of the cabin. He did not trigger his parachute and it was not, nor is it a procedure to be equipped with an emergency parachute with an automatic barometric opening mechanism.

Skydive Kalifornia

The aircraft, operated by Skydive Kalifornia (aka Skydive Toscana) was involved in a local skydiving flight from Cecina Airfield. When the aircraft reached the assigned altitude, six of the seven skydivers bailed out. When the seventh skydiver elected to jump, his auxiliary parachute accidentally opened while the skydiver was still in the cabin. He was sucked outside and collided with the right horizontal stabilizer that later detached. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a field. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and both pilots were killed. There was no fire. All seven skydivers were uninjured.

National Argentinian Police

The single engine aircraft was completing a local mission in Buenos Aires. In flight, the left wing detached, causing the aircraft to enter an uncontrolled descent and to crash, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed by a post crash fire and both occupants were killed. The left wing was found about 180 metres from the wreckage.

Paraclub Namur

On 19 October 2013, the Pilatus Porter was being used for parachute drops. The day started normally with the first take-off at 07:21. Each flight transported 9 or 10 passengers. Except for the first two, all the flights of that day were conducted by the same pilot. The aircraft’s last landing in EBNM was at 13:20 to board the next group of 10 parachutists. After the take-off, the aircraft appeared again on the radar at 13:28 at an altitude of 1200 ft. At 13:28:52, the EBCI Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO) instructed the aircraft to remain at 2000 ft AMSL to allow for crossing traffic, a B737 landing at EBCI, and to proceed further to the east. After the crossing, the Pilatus was authorized to climb to 5000 ft. At 13:33:32, when the aeroplane was flying at 4400 ft, the pilot was authorized to turn back to the drop zone and turned towards its target, the EBNM airfield. Shortly after, a witness observed the aeroplane making a wide turn to the left. This witness monitored the aeroplane for about 40 seconds. He indicated the engine was making an abnormal noise which he compared with the explosions made by the exhaust of a rally car when decelerating. Finally, the witness heard a loud explosion ending by the dive of the aeroplane. He believed that the sound of an explosion was caused by the “engine turbine disintegration”. Another witness driving on the E42 highway saw the aeroplane performing what he perceived as being some aerobatic manoeuvers. The aeroplane was diving and was spinning. A moment later, he saw the wing break-up, including the separation and falling of smaller parts. A sailplane pilot was standing in his garden not far from the crash site. He first heard the sound of the Pilatus which he described as being typical, smooth and constant. He looked at the aeroplane and noticed it was flying at a lower altitude than usual. He stopped observing after a few seconds. 30 to 40 seconds later, he heard an abnormal noise change which he thought was a propeller pitch change or an engine power change. He looked for the aeroplane in the sky and saw the aeroplane diving with an angle of more than 45° immediately followed by a sharp pull-out angle of over 70°, followed by the upwards breaking of a wing. The aeroplane went down “as in a stall”. The witness still heard “the sound of propeller angle moving” after the wing separation. Another witness standing approximately at an horizontal distance of 600 m from the aeroplane described having heard a sound change. He looked at the aeroplane and saw the aeroplane flying horizontally, making several significant left and right roll movements of the wings before it disappearing from his view. The aeroplane crashed on a field in the territory of Gelbressée, killing all occupants. The aeroplane caught fire shortly after the impact. A big part of the left wing, elements thereof and the right sliding door of the cabin were found at 2 km from the main wreckage. Of the aircraft’s occupants, 4 parachutists were ejected from the aircraft just prior to impact.

Mexican Air Force - Fuerza Aérea Mexicana

The crew was completing a local training flight at Santa Lucía AFB when the single engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in an open field near the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.

Abalone Parachutisme

The single engine aircraft departed Granville-Bréville Aerodrome on a local skydiving mission. After all skydivers left the aircraft, the pilot reduced his altitude to return to his base. On final approach to runway 07, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in the sea, few dozen metres offshore. A sailor went quickly to the scene and evacuated the pilot who was slightly injured while the aircraft sank by a depth of 5-6 metres. The wreckage was recovered and pulled on the beach a day later. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Susi Air

The Pilatus Porter PC-6 aircraft operated by PT. Puji Astuti Aviation (Susi Air) registered PK-VVQ on Areal Survey Flight, departed from Sepinggan-Balikpapan to Melak Area on 25 April 2012 at 0440 UTC (Universal Time Coordinate) or 1240 LT. There were one pilot and one pasenger on board, the estimate flight endurance was seven hours. At 0505 the aircraft reported leaving Balikpapan Approach. At 0910 the aircraft was reported to Melak Radio on radial 060 at the altitude of 3,500 feet, and that it would be leaving Survey after a further twenty minutes. Melak Radio reported that the aircraft lost contact at 0930. At 0922 a text message was sent by the passenger to his employer stating “Run out of fuel, landing on road”. The Search and Rescue Bureau informed that a distress signal was tetected on 1025 at the position of 00 25’.02” N 116.02’.48”E. On 26 April 2012 at 1730 UTC the aircraft was found in Muaritan – Kecamatan Tabang, Kutai Karta Negara at the position 00 25’.03” N 116.01’.55”E. The aircraft was substantially damaged, the pilot and the passenger were fatally injured.

Royal Thai Air Force - Kong Thap Akat Thai

The single engine aircraft departed Prachuap Khiri Khan for a local training flight, carrying two pilots and one engineer. En route, the crew encountered technical problems with the engine and was forced to attempt an emergency landing in a field located in the Phanom Thuan District. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair while both pilots were uninjured. The engineer was slightly injured.

Yajasi Aviation

On 22 September 2011, a PC 6 Pilatus Porter aircraft, registration PK-UCE was being operated by Yayasan Jasa Aviasi Indonesia (YAJASI) departed from Pagai to Wamena. The aircraft departed at 0403 UTC1 (1303 LT) and estimated to arrive at Wamena was at 0436 UTC. Aircraft cruise at altitude of 10,000 feet and conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and followed the visual route via North Gap corridor, which one of visual route to Wamena. Prior to enter the North Gap corridor at time 0413 UTC, the pilot sent a message via a system they called AFFIS to the company Flight Following Officer at Sentani Airport, which was the operation base. The pilot also sent a blind transmission message through Wamena Tower radio frequency. This was local procedure, to submit the message consists of position, altitude and destination to make the other aircraft pilots aware each other. As in the intern YAJASI flight following procedure, pilot should send message when the flying passes the North Gap corridor. In this flight, until the normal elapsed time, the pilot did not send any message to their Flight Following Officer at Sentani that the flight has passed the North Gap corridor. Since there was no message nor radio contact from the pilot until the ETA in Wamena, the Flight Following Officer at Sentani informed to the other personnel at the operation base, and alarmed to the other YAJASI aircraft which were flying in that area to start search the PK-UCE. Some other aircrafts which were flying in the vicinity also contacted to search the PKUCE. PK-UCE was found in mountain location adjacent to Pass Valley airstrip. The accident site was at coordinate S 030 54’ 54.4’’, E 1390 02’ 24.3”, the aircraft was hit the trees and the ground where the elevation was about 7500 feet , the propeller blades was not on feather and bent rearward, the left wing was broken and the aircraft stopped on heading about 85°.

Skydive Pull Out Ravenna

The single engine aircraft departed Ravenna-La Spreta Airport on a local skydiving mission, carrying nine skydivers, one child and one pilot. After takeoff from runway 08, while climbing to an altitude of about 50 feet, the aircraft turned to the left then lost height and crashed in an open field located 380 metres from the runway end. All 11 occupants were injured, five of them seriously. The aircraft was destroyed.

Mimika Air

On the morning of 17 April 2009, a Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter aircraft, registered PK-LTJ, operated by PT. Mimika Air, charter flight from Ilaga to Mulia in the Puncak Jaya District of Papua. The Mimika Local Government owned the aircraft. There were 11 people on board; one pilot, one observer, and nine passengers comprised of eight adults and one infant. The aircraft was also carrying National Government election boxes. The flight in accordance with the visual flight rules was estimated to take 18 minutes. There was no record of communication with the aircraft during the flight. Two minutes after the estimated time of arrival, when the Porter had not arrived, a search was commenced. On 18 April, search aircraft located the wreckage of the Porter at an elevation of about 12,000 feet on Mt Gergaji. The location was on the direct track between Ilaga and Mulia. The aircraft impacted the ground in an inverted attitude, and was destroyed by the impact forces and the post-impact fire. All occupants were fatally injured. The weather in the valleys along the route was mostly clear, with cloud on the mountains. The route flown by the pilot was the direct track, which passed over a mountain range, with a high peak adjacent to, and west of the track at about the midway point, at 13,700 feet. The investigation determined that it was likely that the pilot had flown the aircraft into cloud and lost control of the aircraft in instrument meteorological conditions. The impact signature was consistent with uncontrolled flight at the time of impact. This probably resulted from the pilot becoming spatially disoriented after entering cloud.

Associated Mission Aviation - AMA

On the Saturday 9 August 2008, a Pilatus Porter PC-6 B2-H4 aircraft, registered PK-RCZ, operated by AMA (Association of Mission Aviation) on a charter flight from Wamena, Papua, to Taive II, Papua departed at 1000 UTC. The aircraft was to pick up a medical patient from Taive II. After landing and unloading cargo at Taive II, the aircraft departed from Taive II for NduNdu, Papua, at 1106 with an estimated time of arrival of 1113. The flight was to be operated in accordance with the visual flight rules (VFR), remaining clear of cloud and navigating visually. When the aircraft had not arrived by 1213, the Wamena authorities decided to search for the aircraft. Three operators assisted the search; Association of Mission Aviation (AMA), Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), and Yajasi. They all reported hearing PK-RCZ’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal, but were unable to reach the crash site due to the weather conditions. At 2020 (0520 local time on Sunday 10 August), the aircraft wreckage was found at an elevation of 6,400 feet at the coordinates 03° 26’ 08” S, 138° 21’ 58” E, in the area of NduNdu Pass, on the aircraft’s planned track. The crash site was about 200 feet to the left (east) of the southerly track across the Pass, on the slope of an 11,000 foot mountain. The coordinates and elevation of the lowest point in the NduNdu Pass were 03° 26’ 26” S, 138° 21’ 22” E and 5,700 feet. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured.

Skydive Lillo - Air Compluto

The airplane had taken off from runway 30 at the Lillo (Toledo) Aerodrome for a local parachute drop. On board were the pilot and 10 skydivers, six of whom consisted of instructor-student pairs doing tandem jumps. When at an altitude of approximately 14,000 feet and having sounded the acoustic signal indicating two minutes to go before the jump, the airplane was subjected to an instantaneous and sharp negative acceleration that pushed two occupants against the ceiling of the aircraft. As soon as the airplane regained a normal attitude, the left wing fractured and detached. As a result, the airplane started to fall to the ground. Nine of the parachutists were ejected out and were able to open their parachutes at a sufficient enough altitude to land normally. The airplane eventually impacted the ground and burst into flames at a site located 4.5 km north of the aerodrome. The fire destroyed the area between the firewall and the aft end of the passenger cabin. The pilot and one parachutist were unable to exit the aircraft and died on impact. Several components, including the detached wing and its control surfaces, as well as part of the horizontal stabilizer, were thrown off and found between 1.5 km and 2.5 km to the northeast of the main crash site.

Peruvian Air Force - Fuerza Aérea del Perú

The single engine aircraft was completing a local training flight at Iquitos-Moronacocha Airport, carrying five pilots. On short final, the single engine airplane lost height, struck the ground and crashed near the runway threshold. All five occupants were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Aerobalas

The aircraft ran off runway 30 at the Casas de los Pinos aerodrome while landing. The aircraft, used for parachuting operations, was making a reconnaissance flight before the parachuting flights, which were scheduled for later. According to the pilot's statement, during the flare, and before touching down, a gust of wind lifted the left wing. The pilot used left rudder and tilt to try to level the aircraft, but could not keep it from exiting the runway. As stated by the pilot, the approach was performed without flaps, at a speed of 70 knots and with the aft gear locked. The aircraft ended up 25 metres from the edge of the runway on a heading of 190°, resting on its lower fuselage, which was damaged along its underside, as were the left aileron and the horizontal stabilizer. The right main landing gear was bent outward, the left gear had detached and was 30 metres away from the aircraft, and the propeller had detached at the reduction gearbox and was next to the aft landing gear to the left of the aircraft. Both occupants were able to exit the aircraft under their own power. The pilot received a slight injury to his chin and the passenger was unhurt.

KASET - Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation

The aircraft departed Chanthaburi Airport for a cloud-seeding mission with four passengers and a pilot on board. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed, bursting into flames. A passenger was seriously injured while four other occupants were killed.

Skydive DeLand

The airline transport certificated pilot with 10 skydiving passengers began a takeoff in a tailwheel-equipped and turboprop powered airplane on a CFR Part 91 skydiving flight. As the airplane started its climb, the pitch angle of the nose of the airplane increased until the airplane appeared to stall about 50 to 100 feet agl. It descended and impacted the runway in a left wing, nose low attitude. Several FAA inspectors responded to the accident site and documented the accident scene and the airplane systems. The inspectors reported that flight control continuity was established, and they noted that the stabilizer appeared to be in a nose up trim position. Measurement of the stabilizer trim position equated to a 56.5 percent nose up trim condition. The airplane's horizontal stabilizer trim system is electrical. An electric trim indicator, and a trim warning light were installed in the upper left portion of the instrument panel. The light will illuminate if "full-up" trim is set, and the engine is producing over 80 percent power. A placard stating, "Set Correct Trim for Takeoff," was installed on the lower instrument panel in front of the pilot position. The airplane's flight manual contains a "Before Takeoff" warning, which states, in part: "Warning - An extreme out-of-trim stabilizer can, in combination with loading, flaps position and power influence, result in an uncontrollable aircraft after the aircraft leaves the ground." In addition, a caution states, in part: "Caution - Failure to set correct trim settings will result in large control forces and/or unrequested pitching/yawing." Pilot actions listed in the "Before Takeoff" checklist include stabilizer trim settings. The airplane contained seat belts for all passengers, but the pilot's shoulder harness was not used, as it was folded and tie-wrapped near its upper attach point.

Royal Thai Air Force - Kong Thap Akat Thai

Crashed in unknown circumstances in the sea off Prachuap Khiri Khan while completing a local training flight. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

GG Aircraft

The single engine aircraft departed Tamarindo on a sightseeing flight with five passengers and one pilot on board. While flying at low height, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in the sea some 1,300 metres offshore. The aircraft sank by a depth of 50 metres and all six occupants were killed.

National Argentinian Police

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Las Lomitas. Occupant fate unknown.

Tom Bishop

During cruise flight, the 33,000-hour pilot stated that the airplane encountered "extreme clear air turbulence followed by three jolts in rapid succession." He "heard a loud pop as he jerked the throttle to the flight idle position." As the airspeed was slowing, the pilot attempted to add power. The "throttle would not move from the flight idle position and the propeller went into BETA." The airplane pitched downward as the pilot continued to try and "push the throttle lever forward." The airplane established "a rate of descent in excess of 10,000 feet per minute at a near vertical attitude." The pilot initiated an evacuation of the airplane and deployed his parachute (the pilot was wearing a sport parachute during the flight). Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain. During a post accident examination, no mechanical anomalies were noted on the airframe, propeller, or engine that could have caused the accident. The reason for the loss of propeller pitch control could not be determined.

Europlane

The single engine aircraft departed Massa-Cinquale Aerodrome with 10 skydivers and one pilot on board. Once the altitude of 13,000 feet was reached, all 10 skydivers jumped. During the descent, the aircraft became unstable, entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in the sea about 50 metres off Forte dei Marmi. The aircraft was totally destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Namur Air Promotion

The single engine airplane was engaged in a local skydiving flight at Namur-Temploux Airfield, carrying 10 skydivers and one pilot. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft stalled from the tail and crashed near the runway end. A passenger was killed while 10 other occupants were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

D-FEAR GmbH

Shortly after takeoff from Breitscheid Airfield, while climbing to a height of about 10-15 metres, the single engine airplane stalled and crashed beside the runway. All nine occupants (eight skydivers and one pilot) were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

United States Army

A US Army Pilatus UV-20A collided in midair with a Cessna 182C during parachute jumping operations. The collision occurred about 4,800 feet mean sea level (msl) (2,800 feet above ground level (agl)) on the northeast side of runway 12 abeam the approach end. Both aircraft had made multiple flights taking jumpers aloft prior to the accident. The Pilatus departed runway 12 about 5 minutes prior to the Cessna's departure on the same runway. The drop zone was on the airport west of the intersections of runways 12 and 03. The Pilatus departed to the south and began a climb to the jump altitude of 5,500 feet msl, which was 3,500 feet agl. The pilot began the jump run on the southwest side of the runway paralleling it on a heading of about 300 degrees and when he was 1 to 2 minutes from the drop zone broadcast the intent to drop jumpers. The first jumper stated that it normally took him between 1 minute and 1 minute 15 seconds to reach the ground. As he neared the ground he observed everyone running toward the crash site. The Cessna pilot had four jumpers on board and said that his usual practice is to plan his climb so that the jump altitude (5,000 to 5,500 feet msl) is reached about the same time that the aircraft arrives over the jump zone. He departed runway 12 and made a wide sweeping right turn around the airport to set up for the jump. As the Pilatus neared the jump zone the Cessna was greater than 1,000 feet lower and west of the Pilatus climbing on a northerly heading. The Cessna pilot planned to make a right turn to parallel the left side of runway 12, and then turn right toward the drop zone. The jumpers in the Cessna looked out of the right side, and watched the Golden Knights exit their airplane. The jumpers said that their altimeters read 2,500 feet agl. The Cessna pilot turned to a heading of 120 degrees along the left side of the approach end of runway 12. He heard the Pilatus pilot say on Common Traffic Advisory Frequency that the Pilatus was downwind for runway 12. Based on witness observations, at this point the Pilatus was in a descending turn heading generally opposite to the downwind heading on the northeast side of the runway. Everyone in the Cessna heard a loud bang, the Cessna pilot felt something hit him in the head, and the airplane pitched down and lost several hundred feet of altitude. He noticed a blur of yellow and white out of his left window. The lead jumper decided that they should exit, and they all jumped. The Cessna pilot decided that the airplane was controllable, and landed safely. Both civilian and military witnesses on the ground heard the Pilatus pilot call downwind for runway 12. About 10 seconds later they heard intense transmissions over the loud speaker, and looked up and observed the Pilatus in a nearly vertical, nose down slow spiral. There was an open gash in the top of the Cessna's cabin on the left side near the wing root. The green lens and its gold attachment fitting from the Pilatus were on the floor behind the pilot's seat.

Swiss Air Force

On takeoff, the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed in a grassy area beside the runway. The pilot, sole on board, was uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Trigana Air Service

Upon landing on runway 06, the single engine aircraft bounced twice then veered off runway and came to rest in bushes. Both pilots escaped unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Parachutisme 74

The pilot took off from Annemasse Airfield with nine skydivers on board. After dropping them at FL125, five to six seconds after initiating the descent, he felt strong vibrations. He reduced speed and saw the right out aileron separating from the wing. The pilot managed to maintain control of the aircraft by keeping the stick fully to the right and used the rudders to return to his departure aerodrome. He landed the airplane on the grass near the paved runway 30. During a hard landing, the right main landing gear broke off and damaged the fuselage. The pilot escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

EFS Flug Service

Upon landing, the single engine aircraft went out of control, bounced several time and veered off runway before colliding with trees. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft wa damaged beyond repair. It is believed that the loss of control occurred while the pilot-in-command was initiating a go-around procedure.

Imaginair

The single engine airplane departed Breitscheid Airfield on a local skydiving flight. Once the appropriate altitude was reached, 11 skydivers jumped out and the pilot returned to the airfield with another passenger on board. On final approach, at an altitude of about 280 metres, the parachute of the passenger mistakenly opened in the cockpit. The passenger was caught outside the cabin and collided with the elevators. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in an open field located 1,500 metres short of runway 07 threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed and the pilot and the passenger were killed.

Giovanni Beretta

The single engine aircraft was completing a local skydiving flight on behalf of the Skydiving Club of Cumiana. In flight, the aircraft encountered atmospheric turbulences when a wing detached. The aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a field. Two occupants were killed and two others were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

National Argentinian Police

The single engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances upon landing at Malargüe Airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all three occupants were seriously injured.

Sky Club

After takeoff from Haifa Airport, while climbing to a height of about 300 feet, the engine lost power then failed. The aircraft lost height and crashed on the top of a hill near the airport. The pilot and three skydivers were killed while six other occupants were injured.

Royal Nepal Airlines

The pilot, sole on board, departed Kathmandu-Tribhuvan Airport on a positioning flight to Namche Bazar to pick up passengers. During the pre-flight briefing, he was informed about the good weather conditions along the route and at destination. But en route, these conditions deteriorated and upon arrival, clouds were present up to 3,600 metres. He made several circuits expecting weather improvement. Few minutes later, he saw a hole in the clouds and initiated a descent when the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Kongri Himal located 3 km north of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot was killed.

Transportes Aéreos Nacionales de la Selva - TANS

Shortly after takeoff from Iquitos-Moronacocha Airport, while climbing, the single engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in the Moronacocha River bed. Both passengers escaped uninjured while both pilots were injured. The aircraft had also the civil registration OB-1167.

Sicotra Aviation

Crashed in unknown circumstances. There were no casualties.

Swiss Air Force

Taking part to a military exercise, the single engine aircraft departed Payerne AFB on a liaison flight to Sankt Stephan, Bern. While descending to Sankt Stephan Airfield in marginal weather conditions, the aircraft struck the ground and came to rest against a tall tree located in a hilly terrain near Boltigen, about 14 km north of the Sankt Stephan Airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all five occupants were killed.

Centre Ecole Régional Parachutisme de Picardie

The single engine aircraft was engaged in a local skydiving flight on behalf of the CERP of Picardie. After takeoff from runway 35, while climbing to a height of about 1,000 feet, the aircraft rolled to the right, entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a swampy area located about 1,500 metres east of the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all nine occupants were killed.