20190324001959A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Pilatus PC-12/45 · Fort Lauderdale, FL · March 24, 2019

Date: March 24, 2019 · 12:15 local
Place: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Airport: Fort Lauderdale Executive
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N944BT
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA19LA137
Reported as: Pilatus PC-12/45
Reported engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor

N944BTRegistered now · Pilatus PC-12/45S/N 468 · Built 2002 Airframe modelPilatus PC-12/45 Engine modelPratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67BTurbo-prop

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.

Aircraft departed fxe on 02/24/2019 enroute to morristown, TN (mor). Pilot started climb to 26,000 feet. At or about 20,000 feet, pilot heard loud noise. The left windshield (captains) shattered and aircraft was losing pressurization. Pilot contacted fxe ATC and requested return to fxe. Aircraft landed with no further damage. No injuries to crew or passenger.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FXE ON 02/24/2019 ENROUTE TO MORRISTOWN, TN (MOR). PILOT STARTED CLIMB TO 26,000 FEET. AT OR ABOUT 20,000 FEET, PILOT HEARD LOUD NOISE. THE LEFT WINDSHIELD (CAPTAINS) SHATTERED AND AIRCRAFT WAS LOSING PRESSURIZATION. PILOT CONTACTED FXE ATC AND REQUESTED RETURN TO FXE. AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH NO FURTHER DAMAGE. NO INJURIES TO CREW OR PASSENGER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA19LA137Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportFort Lauderdale, FLImproper maintenance of the windshield, which resulted in delamination and in-flight depressurization.Mar 24, 2019 · Substantial damage