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20170502006029I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Pilatus PC-12/45 · Worcester, MA · May 2, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 2, 2017 · 00:35 local
Place
Worcester, MA
Airport
Worcester Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
Q5QA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N26VW
Reported as
Pilatus PC-12/45
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
9,291 total2,500 in this make and model157 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On may 1, 2017, at 2342 hours, the pilot in command (PIC) departed the reading regional airport (krdg) located in reading, PA. En-route to Worcester Regional Airport (korh) located in Worcester, MA. Weather reports indicated rain, thunderstorms and fog for the flight to korh. The approach to korh was instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) indicated by the PIC. At 1.04 miles from the end of runway 11, at 0035 hours, the aircraft struck tree limbs with the outboard six (6) feet of the left hand wing. Elevation of the tree at the point of impact was one thousand ninety seven (1097) feet mean sea level (MSL). The tree stands twenty (20) feet above ground level (AGL) and the point of impact with the tree is fifteen (15) feet AGL.

The PIC stated that he set eleven hundred eighty four (1184) feet MSL as his decision altitude and two hundred four (204) feet input into the radar altimeter. He stated the radar altimeter activated, a few seconds later, he felt the rudder pedals shudder once.

The PIC performed a missed approach and requested an amended flight plan with bradley approach to return to krdg.

As the FAA filed it

ON MAY 1, 2017, AT 2342 HOURS, THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) DEPARTED THE READING REGIONAL AIRPORT (KRDG) LOCATED IN READING, PA. EN-ROUTE TO WORCESTER REGIONAL AIRPORT (KORH) LOCATED IN WORCESTER, MA. WEATHER REPORTS INDICATED RAIN, THUNDERSTORMS AND FOG FOR THE FLIGHT TO KORH. THE APPROACH TO KORH WAS INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) INDICATED BY THE PIC. AT 1.04 MILES FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 11, AT 0035 HOURS, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TREE LIMBS WITH THE OUTBOARD SIX (6) FEET OF THE LEFT HAND WING. ELEVATION OF THE TREE AT THE POINT OF IMPACT WAS ONE THOUSAND NINETY SEVEN (1097) FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). THE TREE STANDS TWENTY (20) FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AND THE POINT OF IMPACT WITH THE TREE IS FIFTEEN (15) FEET AGL.

THE PIC STATED THAT HE SET ELEVEN HUNDRED EIGHTY FOUR (1184) FEET MSL AS HIS DECISION ALTITUDE AND TWO HUNDRED FOUR (204) FEET INPUT INTO THE RADAR ALTIMETER. HE STATED THE RADAR ALTIMETER ACTIVATED, A FEW SECONDS LATER, HE FELT THE RUDDER PEDALS SHUDDER ONCE.

THE PIC PERFORMED A MISSED APPROACH AND REQUESTED AN AMENDED FLIGHT PLAN WITH BRADLEY APPROACH TO RETURN TO KRDG.