1963 Pilatus Turbo-Porter PC-6A Accident at Ayent, Switzerland (HB-FAD)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On June 26, 1963, at 15:30 MEZ, a pilot departed from Sitten airfield in a Pilatus Turbo-Porter PC-6A, registration HB-FAD, carrying three passengers. The flight was conducted under the operations of the Valais section of the Ae.C.S. and was intended for aerial filming over the Crans golf course. The aircraft, a single-engine, braced high-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel, was manufactured in 1961 and powered by an Astazou II-E turboprop engine driving a Ratier-Figeac three-blade metal propeller. The total flight time of the aircraft at the time of the accident was 334:03 hours, and its weight was approximately 1,700 kg, within the maximum allowable limit of 1,960 kg. The center of gravity remained within prescribed limits throughout the flight.