History of Flight
On September 29, 2008, at 2216:27 mountain daylight time, a Pilatus PC-12/47E, registration N606SL, owned and operated by a private pilot, was destroyed when it impacted terrain three nautical miles north of the Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF), Santa Fe, New Mexico. A post-impact fire ensued. Dark night visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91 on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The cross-country flight departed Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB), Lubbock, Texas, approximately 2115 and was en route to SAF.
Earlier that day, the pilot had flown from Akron-Canton Regional Airport, Ohio, to Teterboro Airport (TEB), New Jersey, departing at 0717 and arriving around 0850. After filing an IFR flight plan for SAF, he departed TEB at 1424. He diverted to LBB for fuel, arriving at 2021. He refueled and spoke with his wife, reporting no problems. He departed LBB around 2115.
Approaching Santa Fe, the pilot descended to 12,000 feet msl as cleared by Albuquerque Center at 2158:56. He was cleared for the visual approach at 2212:43 and canceled his flight plan ten seconds later. No further communications were recorded.
Radar data showed the airplane approaching SAF from the southeast, descending. The track shifted to a magnetic bearing of 320 degrees at about 8,000 feet msl, then continued descending. The last radar target was at 2216:27 at 7,200 feet msl, 3.2 nm north of the airport on a bearing of 003 degrees. Ground speed remained above 200 knots until just before impact, slowing to 190 knots.
Witnesses at SAF, three miles south, reported the airplane overflew the area consistent with a traffic pattern. The pilot reported over UNICOM that he was five miles from the airport. Runway lights were activated and adjusted. No other radio calls were made. One witness saw the airplane initiate a left turn, then pitch down and descend at a steep angle. The witnesses resumed their duties, unaware of the crash.
Personnel Information
The pilot, aged 54, held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, multi-engine land, and instrument ratings, last issued April 11, 2006. He held a third-class medical certificate issued July 27, 2007, with the limitation requiring corrective lenses for distant vision and glasses for near vision.
His digital logbook showed at least 2,437 hours total flight time, including 1,456 in turbine aircraft, 86.5 in the Pilatus PC-12/47E, 14 in a Pilatus simulator, and 85 hours of night flying (2.4 in the Pilatus). He completed a Pilatus PC-12 NG initial course at SIMCOM on July 24, 2008.
Aircraft Information
The Pilatus PC-12/47E, serial number 1020, was manufactured in 2008 and registered on a standard airworthiness certificate. It was powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67P turboprop engine rated at 1,200 shaft horsepower, driving a four-blade Hartzell propeller. The airplane was registered to Gardner Leasing LLC and operated by the pilot. It was new, with an estimated total airframe time of 130 hours at the time of the accident. The last maintenance was the installation of a cabin entertainment system by Pilatus Business Aircraft on July 24, 2008, at 27.6 hours airframe time.
Meteorological Information
The closest weather station, SAF, reported at 2153: winds 120 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, clear below 12,000 feet, temperature 16°C, dew point 0°C, altimeter 30.43 inches. The moon set at 1847, and it was a new moon.
Airport Information
Santa Fe Municipal Airport is a public airport in Class D airspace, located nine miles southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, at elevation 6,348 feet. Three runways were open: 2/20 (8,342 ft), 15/33 (6,307 ft), and 10/28 (6,300 ft). The control tower was open from 0700 to 2100; after 2100, airspace reverted to Class E.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was at elevation 6,347 feet in rolling, sparsely vegetated terrain. The initial impact point was 3.2 nm north of the airport on a magnetic bearing of 352 degrees. A 23-foot-long ground scar with blue paint chips (consistent with a wing tip) extended to the burn area. The debris field extended 540 feet to the main wreckage on a bearing of 200 degrees. Components included left landing gear, torn metal, fuselage door, three propeller blades, wing fragments, and aileron control rods. The left winglet exhibited scratch marks consistent with a 46-degree left bank at impact. The empennage was fire-damaged. The rudder control was deflected to the right; yaw damper was deflected to the right (full left rudder), considered normal for the flight profile. Aileron trim was slight left; pitch trim slight nose up. Flap actuators indicated an intermediate position of four degrees. The engine exhibited internal rotational scoring consistent with power at impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed on October 1, 2008, listed the cause of death as massive bodily trauma. The heart fragment weighed 120 grams with 25% atherosclerosis. Toxicology detected doxylamine and amphetamine (0.664 ug/ml in liver, 0.495 ug/ml in kidney). The pilot had a history of ADHD treated with amphetamines since 2004, prescribed 70 mg of lisdexamfetamine daily since December 2007. His most recent medical application (July 27, 2007) listed only Lipitor and did not mention mental disorders or the treating psychiatrist.
Tests and Research
The modular avionics unit (MAU) and enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) were heat-damaged, preventing data download. A navigation/communication unit functioned normally; its fault log indicated the last power cycle from 2058:34 to 2216:27 (78 minutes). Non-volatile memory from the yaw servo recorded a communications fault 4,577 seconds after power application, causing autopilot disengagement; exact time unknown. The pitch servo recorded a stuck clutch fault 86 seconds after power application, consistent with flight start, but was cleared. No other anomalies were noted.
Additional Information
Pilatus night landing operations: According to Pilatus, typical procedures include slowing to 150 knots at 5 miles, extending 15 degrees of flaps, then extending landing gear below 180 knots and flaps above 30 degrees at or below 130 knots.
The pilot maintained a squawk list on his personal computer documenting various anomalies (ADAHRS, primary flight display, CAS, transponder, fuel quantity) from August 3 to September 25, 2008. The family reported the pilot discussed these with a Pilatus employee, who said they were not catastrophic or flight critical. Aviation Sales and Pilatus Business Aircraft had no record of the pilot scheduling maintenance or reporting these issues. Representatives from Pilatus and Honeywell reviewed the list and concluded that the issues described were not catastrophic or linked to the accident.