Pilatus PC-12/45 accident near South Bend, Indiana, December 14, 2004
On December 14, 2004 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Pilatus PC-12/45, registered N922RG, was substantially damaged in an accident near South Bend, Indiana (South Bend Regional airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the fuel control unit (FCU) bellows which resulted in a significant loss of engine power and the pilot's encounter with unsuitable terrain during the subsequent forced landing. A contributing factor was the pilot's inadvertent exceedence of the engine temperature limitations during use of the manual override (MOR) system. Additional factors were the roadway and the utility poles struck during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 14, 2004 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- South Bend, Indiana · South Bend Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pilatus PC-12/45 · all PC-12/45s on the register
- Registration
- N922RG · no longer on the register · serial 409
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The pilot stated that shortly after takeoff, the engine "abruptly and smoothly rolled back." Movement of the power control lever had no effect. He stated that use of the manual override (MOR) system did not restore engine power. He secured the engine and executed a forced landing on a roadway. The airplane's wing struck two utility poles during rollout. Data downloaded from the accident aircraft indicated that the recorded engine interstage turbine temperature (ITT) exceeded published limits during the event. The post accident engine inspection revealed turbine damage consistent with an over-temperature event. The inspection also revealed a leak in the compressor discharge pressure (CDP) sensor bellows within the fuel control unit (FCU). The leak prevented the bellows assembly from responding to throttle inputs and resulted in the FCU providing minimum fuel flow to the engine regardless of the throttle setting. Following this accident an improved FCU design which incorporated a more robust bellows design was released and retrofited into the entire in-service and production fleet. The airframe manufacturer issued a revision to the pilot's operating handbook to provide an improved procedure for use in the event of an in-flight engine power loss. It also updated information regarding the Manual Override (MOR) system.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,879 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,385 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 599 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2004; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,921 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Greenhill Aviation Co., LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SBN South Bend IN at 6:15 pm
- Destination: HPN White Plains NY
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,000 ft; scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.47 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from SBN, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.
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.