Belgian Pilatus PC-6 Parachute Drop Accident

Accident Overview and Investigation Scope On 19 October 2013 at 13:25 UTC, a Pilatus PC-6 airplane registered in Belgium crashed in the village of Gelbressée, located 12.5 km east-northeast of EBNM airfield. The aircraft was operating an aerial work flight for a parachute drop and was in the climb phase when the accident occurred. The aircraft was equipped with one Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-27 engine and held a Certificate of Airworthiness and a valid Airworthiness Review Certificate. The flight carried 10 parachutists and 1 pilot. All 11 persons on board were killed. The Belgian Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) was notified immediately and dispatched a team to the site. The investigation was supported by the Swiss Safety Investigation Authority (SUST), the Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB), the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the French Bureau d’Enquête et Analyse (BEA). The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and members of the European Network of Civil Aviation Safety Investigation Authorities (ENCASIA) also provided data. ## Investigation Activities The safety investigation included a visual inspection of the accident site, detailed examination and reconstitution of the wreckage, and inspection of flight controls. Investigators disassembled and tested the trim actuator and related electrical circuits, as well as the engine and propeller. Laboratory inspection was performed on fractures of the left wing and strut, and the rupture sequence of the airplane structure was determined. The team also examined the aircraft’s technical and maintenance documentation, radar data from the accident flight and previous flights, and communications between the aircraft and air traffic control. Barometric data from automatic parachute opening devices were reviewed, and interviews were conducted with key persons from the parachutist club, pilots, and other witnesses. Meteorological data and bird activity reports for the crash area were gathered. ## Safety Recommendations and Regulatory Response The AAIU issued an interim statement on 17 October 2014 because the final report had not yet been completed within the first year after the accident. Early in the investigation, a review of aviation legal requirements led to the conclusion that the organizational framework for parachute drop operations and the monitoring and surveillance of these activities needed improvement. On 2 January 2014, the AAIU recommended that the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) review the regulatory requirements for parachute dropping activities to increase safety to an acceptable level and adapt the level of oversight. The BCAA responded positively and prepared operating procedures to help parachute clubs develop a Procedure Manual, based on the future EASA Part-SPO Regulation and documents from the UK CAA. The BCAA decided to apply the Part-SPO regulation in April 2015, two years before the ultimate implementation date.