Pilatus Aircraft Ltd PC-12/47 accident near Lake Wales, FL
On June 7, 2012, a Pilatus Aircraft Ltd PC-12/47 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Lake Wales, FL. 6 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 7, 2012
- Place
- Lake Wales, FL
- Aircraft
- Pilatus Aircraft Ltd PC-12/47 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 6 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 27.823°N, 81.477°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120607X54234
Official records · ERA12FA385
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- ATC 3 - N950KA Radar Study: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC 3 – Orlando Approach Radar Targets Code 1457: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC 3 - Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center Daily Record of Facility Operation: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC 3 - Transcript of Radio Communications: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- ATC 3 - Flight Progress Strip: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On June 7, 2012, about 1235 eastern daylight time, a Pilatus PC-12/47, N950KA, registered to and operated by Roadside Ventures, LLC, departed controlled flight followed by subsequent in-flight breakup near Lake Wales, Florida. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the altitude and location of the departure from controlled flight and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight from St Lucie County International Airport (FPR), Fort Pierce, Florida, to Freeman Field Airport (3JC), Junction City, Kansas. The airplane was substantially damaged and the private pilot and five passengers were fatally injured. The flight originated from FPR about 1205. After departure while proceeding in a west-northwesterly direction and climbing, air traffic control communications were transferred to Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center (Miami ARTCC). The pilot remained in contact with various sectors of that facility from 1206:41, to the last communication at 1233:16. About 6 minutes after takeoff the pilot was advised by the Miami ARTCC Stoop Sector radar controller of an area of moderate to heavy precipitation twelve to two o'clock 15 miles ahead of the airplane's position; the returns were reported to be 30 miles in diameter. The pilot asked the controller if he needed to circumnavigate the weather, to which the controller replied that deviations north of course were approved and when able to proceed direct LAL, which he acknowledged. A trainee controller and a controller providing o
Probable cause
The failure of the pilot to maintain control of the airplane while climbing to cruise altitude in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) following disconnect of the autopilot. The reason for the autopilot disconnect could not be determined during postaccident testing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of experience in high-performance, turbo-propeller airplanes and in IMC.
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Browse: Florida · Pilatus aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
