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20250801011109I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Pilatus PC-12/45 · Grand Junction, CO · August 1, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 1, 2025 · 17:20 local
Place
Grand Junction, CO
Airport
Grand Junction Regional
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
J7BA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N327SF
Reported as
Pilatus PC-12/45
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney PT6A series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N327SFRegistered now · Pilatus PC-12/45S/N 511 · Built 2003Airframe modelPilatus PC-12/45Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesTurbo-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.

On August 1, 2025, PC-12 aircraft operating part 135 and flying aerial observation of fires for the state of Colorado suffered a nose gear collapse incident on landing touchdown at gjt airport. Aircraft had departed around 4:20PM from cjt, flown aerial observation, and was returning to cjt after its mission. While on approach but before landing gear was deployed the pilot heard a thump and the gear warning light came on. After selecting gear down the nose indication remained unsafe. Gear cycled several times with no change. Airplane made several passes past tower that confirmed the gear was out but didn't look all the way deployed. Pilot selected runway 11 for landing and the nose gear collapsed on touchdown. Neither the pilot nor the 2 fire observers onboard were injured. Nose gear RH drag link was discovered broken. The 135 operator is working with the airplane manufacturer on getting the drag link examined. State of Colorado forestry is also running their own investigation into the componant.

As the FAA filed it

ON AUGUST 1, 2025, PC-12 AIRCRAFT OPERATING PART 135 AND FLYING AERIAL OBSERVATION OF FIRES FOR THE STATE OF COLORADO SUFFERED A NOSE GEAR COLLAPSE INCIDENT ON LANDING TOUCHDOWN AT GJT AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED AROUND 4:20PM FROM CJT, FLOWN AERIAL OBSERVATION, AND WAS RETURNING TO CJT AFTER ITS MISSION. WHILE ON APPROACH BUT BEFORE LANDING GEAR WAS DEPLOYED THE PILOT HEARD A THUMP AND THE GEAR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER SELECTING GEAR DOWN THE NOSE INDICATION REMAINED UNSAFE. GEAR CYCLED SEVERAL TIMES WITH NO CHANGE. AIRPLANE MADE SEVERAL PASSES PAST TOWER THAT CONFIRMED THE GEAR WAS OUT BUT DIDN'T LOOK ALL THE WAY DEPLOYED. PILOT SELECTED RUNWAY 11 FOR LANDING AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON TOUCHDOWN. NEITHER THE PILOT NOR THE 2 FIRE OBSERVERS ONBOARD WERE INJURED. NOSE GEAR RH DRAG LINK WAS DISCOVERED BROKEN. THE 135 OPERATOR IS WORKING WITH THE AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER ON GETTING THE DRAG LINK EXAMINED. STATE OF COLORADO FORESTRY IS ALSO RUNNING THEIR OWN INVESTIGATION INTO THE COMPONANT.