NTSB to Focus on ‘Four Corners’ of PC-12 in Fatal Crash Probe
While cruising at an altitude of 26,000 feet, the pilot notified ATC that there was a problem with the autopilot and he was losing control of the aircraft.
The NTSB investigation is set to review the pilot's experience, aircraft maintenance records, and the operating environment, an agency spokesperson said. [Credit: Shutterstock]
Key Takeaways:
A Pilatus PC-12 crash killed seven people, including members of the gospel group The Nelons and the aircraft owner/pilot and his wife, near the Montana-Wyoming border.
The pilot reported an autopilot issue and loss of control at 26,000 feet, with flight data showing erratic turns, pitch changes, and a rapid descent before the crash.
NTSB investigators are gathering scattered wreckage, with one theory being a possible in-flight breakup due to the extreme altitude and airspeed changes experienced.
The NTSB's comprehensive investigation will review the pilot's history, aircraft maintenance, and operating environment, with a preliminary report expected in a few weeks.
Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have begun gathering wreckage from the site of a Pilatus PC-12 crash that killed seven Friday near the Montana-Wyoming border.
Three of the people on board the privately owned aircraft were members of the Atlanta-based gospel group The Nelons.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
