Forced Landing of a Pilatus PC-12 Near Clarenville, Newfoundland (C-FKAL)

Flight and Emergency Development A Pilatus PC-12, serial number 151, was operating a scheduled domestic flight from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Goose Bay, Labrador. The aircraft carried a pilot, a company observer, and eight passengers. Twenty-three minutes after departure, the crew observed a low oil pressure indication and turned back toward St. John's. Eight minutes later, the Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67B engine had to be shut down due to severe vibration. The pilot then turned toward Clarenville Airport but was unable to reach the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed during a forced landing in a bog one and a half miles from Clarenville Airport. The pilot, the company observer, and one passenger sustained serious injuries. ## Investigation Findings The Board determined that the pilot did not follow the prescribed emergency procedure for low oil pressure, and the engine failed before he could land safely. The pilot's decision making was influenced by his belief that the low oil pressure indications were not valid. The engine failed as a result of an interruption of oil flow to the first-stage planet gear assembly; the cause of the oil flow interruption could not be determined.