What happened
On July 2, 2025, at approximately 07:57 local time, a Pilatus PC-12/47E aircraft, registered as T7-12DW, departed from Kitakyushu Airport (RJFR) in Japan. During the initial climb phase of the flight, the crew members detected an abnormal noise emanating from the engine. This was immediately followed by a noticeable loss of engine power.
In response to the malfunction, the crew declared an emergency. The aircraft was able to perform a return to the departure airfield, successfully landing back at Kitakyushu Airport at 07:58 JST, just one minute after the initial incident.
The investigation
The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) issued a notification regarding the incident, noting that the aircraft is registered in San Marino. Because the occurrence took place in Japan, the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) has assumed responsibility for the formal investigation into the mechanical failure and the sequence of events leading to the power loss.