What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
*Note- selection of auto-pilot as primary technical factor is based solely on pilots radio transmissions made to ATC prior to ATC losing radio and radar contact with aircraft. No evidence of any mechanical failures or malfunctions related to the auto-pilot system, components, or related control surfaces have been found during the examination of the aircraft or the subsequent testing of the removed auto pilot components at the time of this report.
On July 26, 2024, about 1304 mountain daylight time, a Pilatus PC-12/47E was involved in an accident near Recluse, Wyoming. The pilot and six passengers were fatally injured. The aircraft departed Nebraska city municipal airport, Nebraska city, Nebraska, around 1200, with an intended destination of billings logan international airport (bil), billings, Montana. During the last portion of the flight, the pilot reported the loss of the autopilot and declared an emergency with the salt lake city air traffic control center. The controller asked the pilot where he would like to land but received no initial response. The pilot then responded that he was trying to get control of the airplane to which the controller advised the pilot to let them know if he required additional assistance. The controller didn't receive any response and lost radar contact shortly after. Personnel from campbell county sheriffs' department located the crash site about 12 miles northeast of Recluse, Wyoming. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane impacted terrain in a steep nose down attitude and slightly inverted. Small fragments of the airplane were scattered throughout an approximate 300 ft radius from the main wreckage, with the major portion of the wreckage imbedded in the ground. A post-crash fire covering approximately 40 acres surrounded the crash site. Two large sections of the left wing, along with smaller fragments were located along a debris field that extended .8 miles from the main wreckage on a magnetic heading of 300 degrees.
As the FAA filed it
*NOTE- SELECTION OF AUTO-PILOT AS PRIMARY TECHNICAL FACTOR IS BASED SOLELY ON PILOTS RADIO TRANSMISSIONS MADE TO ATC PRIOR TO ATC LOSING RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WITH AIRCRAFT. NO EVIDENCE OF ANY MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS RELATED TO THE AUTO-PILOT SYSTEM, COMPONENTS, OR RELATED CONTROL SURFACES HAVE BEEN FOUND DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT OR THE SUBSEQUENT TESTING OF THE REMOVED AUTO PILOT COMPONENTS AT THE TIME OF THIS REPORT.
ON JULY 26, 2024, ABOUT 1304 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PILATUS PC-12/47E WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR RECLUSE, WYOMING. THE PILOT AND SIX PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED NEBRASKA CITY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, NEBRASKA CITY, NEBRASKA, AROUND 1200, WITH AN INTENDED DESTINATION OF BILLINGS LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (BIL), BILLINGS, MONTANA. DURING THE LAST PORTION OF THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THE LOSS OF THE AUTOPILOT AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH THE SALT LAKE CITY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER. THE CONTROLLER ASKED THE PILOT WHERE HE WOULD LIKE TO LAND BUT RECEIVED NO INITIAL RESPONSE. THE PILOT THEN RESPONDED THAT HE WAS TRYING TO GET CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE TO WHICH THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT TO LET THEM KNOW IF HE REQUIRED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. THE CONTROLLER DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY RESPONSE AND LOST RADAR CONTACT SHORTLY AFTER. PERSONNEL FROM CAMPBELL COUNTY SHERIFFS' DEPARTMENT LOCATED THE CRASH SITE ABOUT 12 MILES NORTHEAST OF RECLUSE, WYOMING. EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TERRAIN IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND SLIGHTLY INVERTED. SMALL FRAGMENTS OF THE AIRPLANE WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT AN APPROXIMATE 300 FT RADIUS FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE, WITH THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE WRECKAGE IMBEDDED IN THE GROUND. A POST-CRASH FIRE COVERING APPROXIMATELY 40 ACRES SURROUNDED THE CRASH SITE. TWO LARGE SECTIONS OF THE LEFT WING, ALONG WITH SMALLER FRAGMENTS WERE LOCATED ALONG A DEBRIS FIELD THAT EXTENDED .8 MILES FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE ON A MAGNETIC HEADING OF 300 DEGREES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.