What happened
On June 19, 2016, a Pilatus PC-6, registered as DFSCB, departed from the Figueira dos Cavaleiros airfield (LPFC) for a scheduled skydiving session. The aircraft was carrying 8 people, consisting of the pilot, 5 skydivers, and 2 passengers participating in tandem jumps. Weather conditions at the time were clear with temperatures near 32° C and winds from 040° at 10 knots.
During the initial climb, as the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 7,000 feet MSL, occupants reported hearing a loud noise resembling metal tearing. Immediately following this sound, the aircraft experienced a significant nose-up pitch and a rightward yaw, leading to extreme instability. The rear fuselage structure disintegrated during this phase of flight.
As the airframe broke apart, some occupants were forced against the interior structure before being ejected. Several skydivers were able to exit the aircraft and deploy their parachutes successfully. Two individuals sustained serious injuries prior to exiting the plane, though their emergency parachutes deployed automatically via barometric triggers. The pilot was ejected from the cockpit area and struck the ground approximately 400 meters from the main cabin impact site; the pilot did not deploy a parachute.
Findings
Following the structural failure, the remaining components of the aircraft continued to break apart until they reached the ground. Debris from the accident was scattered across an area roughly 1,500 meters long and 500 meters wide, following a west-to-east path aligned with the flight trajectory. The total number of 1 fatality was recorded.