What happened
On December 15, a Pilatus PC-6 was conducting a delivery flight from Buochs Airport to Indonesia. The flight path included intermediate stops in Maribor and Podgorica before proceeding toward Heraklion. Shortly after departing from runway 09 at Heraklion-Nikos Kazantzakis Airport, the aircraft was climbing through 1,400 feet when the pilot notified air traffic control of an emergency situation.
While attempting to execute a right-hand turn to return to the departure airport, the aircraft experienced a significant loss of airspeed and altitude. The plane subsequently entered a stall and impacted the sea near Karteros. Following the impact, the aircraft remained buoyant for a short period before eventually sinking.
Findings
Of the two people on board, the passenger died following the accident, while the pilot sustained minor injuries. The aircraft, which was the final unit produced by the Swiss manufacturer, was being operated for Smart Cakrawala Aviation.