Pilatus PC 12-45 Accident in Saint-Barthélemy (2002) (HB-FOP)

Incident Overview and Context On 26 October 2002, at approximately 13:20 UTC, a Pilatus PC 12-45, registration HB-FOP, operated by the Swiss company Translem, was involved in an accident at the Saint-Barthélemy aerodrome in France. The aircraft, serial number 291, was constructed in 1999 and powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B engine. It held a certificate of airworthiness issued by the Confederation of Switzerland. At the time of the event, the aircraft was not certified for operation in France. The flight was a training exercise intended to qualify the pilot for the specific approach and landing requirements of the aerodrome. The Saint-Barthélemy aerodrome is a restricted-use facility with a runway measuring 650 meters by 15 meters, situated between the sea to the west and a hill to the east. The runway features a significant slope of approximately 12%. Due to these challenging characteristics, pilots are required to complete specific training under the supervision of an authorized instructor before being permitted to operate there independently. The pilot was accompanied by an instructor who held a single-engine piston qualification but lacked the specific type rating required to act as the pilot-in-command of the PC 12. Consequently, the instructor could not take control of the aircraft or supervise the flight with full authority. During the approach, the pilot was the pilot flying and the instructor was only able to provide observational feedback regarding the aircraft's configuration and trajectory. The pilot was aware of the aircraft's high speed and was informed by the instructor that the approach was too fast, but the pilot retained control of the aircraft until the end of the maneuver. The pilot, a 55-year-old holder of a Swiss private pilot license issued in 1998 with instrument rating and over 1,050 total flight hours, had more than 600 hours on the type. The instructor, aged 60, held a French private pilot license from 1991 along with flight instructor and single-engine piston qualifications.