Pilatus Aircraft LTD PC-12/47E incident near Austin, Texas, September 12, 2013
On September 12, 2013 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 2010 Pilatus Aircraft LTD PC-12/47E, registered N617BG, suffered minor damage in an incident during prior to flight near Austin, Texas (Austin-Bergstrom International airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries; 9 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper weight and balance calculations, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its weight and center-of-gravity limits and led to a loss of pitch control during takeoff, and the operator’s failure to obtain required weight information and to ensure that the flight was properly loaded.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2013 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Austin, Texas · Austin-Bergstrom International · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 9 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pilatus Aircraft LTD PC-12/47E, built 2010
- Registration
- N617BG · registry record · serial 1253
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Immediately after the airplane lifted off the runway, the pilot lost pitch control, which resulted in a series of pitch oscillations and cockpit stall warnings. The pilot aborted the takeoff, and the airplane subsequently impacted the departure runway. The pilot subsequently stopped the airplane on the remaining runway. The flight was being operated as a commercial on-demand passenger flight. According to the operator's operations specifications, actual passenger and carry-on baggage weights were required to be used to determine a flight's weight and balance; however, the trip schedule that the operator provided to the pilot before the flight did not include the actual passenger weights nor the carry-on baggage weights. A postincident review of weight and balance information revealed that the pilot failed to identify that the baggage weights were not included on the trip schedule and that he subsequently improperly calculated the airplane's weight and balance, which resulted in the exceedance of the aft center-of-gravity and weight limits for the flight. Further, the operator did not ensure that the airplane was loaded properly. Examination of recorded flight data from the onboard lightweight data recorder (LDR) and postincident examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The LDR also recorded cockpit audio; however, download of the cockpit audio revealed that 2 hours of the recording, which included the incident flight, had been overwritten before the National Transportation Safety Board received the LDR.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aircraft loading event during prior to flight defining event
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Stall warn/stick-shaker/pusher during initial climb
- Attempted remediation/recovery during uncontrolled descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › CG/weight distribution › Capability exceeded
- cause Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Oversight › Oversight of operation › Operator
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weight/balance calculations › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane
- Last flight review: August 16, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67P (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flightime Business Jets, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: AUS Austin TX at 9:00 pm
- Destination: LBB Lubbock TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17L, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from AUS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 8 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N617BG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.