What happened
On July 26, 2024, at approximately 13:04 MDT, a Pilatus PC-12/47E aircraft, registered as N357HE, crashed into a forested region located roughly 35 nautical miles north of Gillette, Wisconsin. The flight had originated from Nebraska City Municipal Airport (KAFK) in South Dakota and was en route to an as-yet undetermined destination. The aircraft had been in the air for approximately two hours when the impact occurred during the cruise phase of flight.
The investigation
The accident resulted in fatalities among the seven occupants on board. The impact of the aircraft caused significant damage to the airframe, which was destroyed, and triggered a forest fire at the crash site. Because the accident occurred on United States soil, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has assumed responsibility for the investigation into the circumstances of the crash.