Pilatus PC-12/45 accident near Stagecoach, NV
On February 25, 2023, a Pilatus PC-12/45 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Stagecoach, NV. 5 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 25, 2023
- Place
- Stagecoach, NV
- Aircraft
- Pilatus PC-12/45 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 5 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 39.355°N, 119.439°W
- NTSB ID
- 20230225106784
Official records · WPR23MA113
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
- Investigation page: status, final report and safety recommendations
Air traffic control records
- Operational Factors/human Performance - Attachment 19 - Guardian Flight Communication Center Guidelines [excerpts]: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Recording Devices - Specialist's Factual Report: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
- Recording Devices - Attachment 1 (Caws Log): Document (TXT), on ntsb.gov
- Recording Devices - Attachment 2 (Skytrac): Document (CSV), on ntsb.gov
- Recording Devices - Attachment 3 (Engine & Fuel): Document (CSV), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn February 24, 2023, about 2114 Pacific standard time, a Pilatus PC-12/45, N273SM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Stagecoach, Nevada. The pilot, flight paramedic, flight nurse, and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated by Guardian Flight, LLC dba Care Flight under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 135. The flight was a non-emergency transport of a patient from Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), Reno, Nevada, about 2100 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan, to Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah. According to the Guardian Flight pilot on duty from 0700-1900 on the day of the accident, he had received a flight request but declined the flight due to visibility at RNO. The day shift pilot said that the visibility was “down all day,” and that he notified the oncoming (accident) pilot about it. At 1851, Care Flight received a request for transport of the patient again, and the accident crew received notification about 1858. The notification only included the destination, and the crew did not receive any specific patient information before accepting the flight. The unit was assigned about 1914. Another air ambulance operator, who also operated a PC-12/45, received a request to transport a patient from RNO to SLC. The operator turned down the flight at 1455 due to “snow drifts, high winds, Reno below min[imums].” Additionally, that operator had another flight request to transport a patient from Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospi
Probable cause
The pilot’s loss of control due to spatial disorientation while operating in night instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in-flight breakup. Contributing to the accident was the disengagement of the autopilot for undetermined reasons, as well as the operator’s insufficient flight risk assessment process and lack of organizational oversight.
More accidents in NV
- Cessna 425, Jan 12, 1992
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Browse: Nevada · 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.
