Pilatus PC12 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 24, 2019
On March 24, 2019 at about 3:01 pm local time, a 2002 Pilatus PC12, registered N944BT, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (climb to cruise) near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Improper maintenance of the windshield, which resulted in delamination and in-flight depressurization.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2019 · about 3:01 pm local time · cases in 2019
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Pilatus PC12 45, built 2002 · all PC12s on the register
- Registration
- N944BT · registry record · serial 468
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the climb to cruise altitude on a cross-country flight, the pilot heard a loud bang and the pilot's side windshield shattered and the cabin began depressurizing. The pilot returned to the departure airport and landed uneventfully, where he noticed that the seal was extruded in two places around the outer pane. The windshield was sent to the manufacturer for a detailed examination, which revealed that 80% of the fiberglass straps were missing, and they were likely removed by maintenance personnel. A combination of missing straps and heavy delamination caused the outboard ply to become detached from the edge attachment. Moisture ingress at the bottom aft edge caused delamination and arcing. There was no record in the airframe logbook of the straps’ removal.
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 structural failure during enroute (climb to cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Windows › windshield system › Flight compartment windows › Malfunction other cases naming the airframe structure
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Repair › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 2,600 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 9,000 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 23, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,558 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 15, 2019; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,965 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B (turboprop); 2,558 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL at 2:00 pm
- Destination: KMOR Morristown TN
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.10 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from FXE, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – Shattered Windshield, inside view
Photo 2 – Shattered Windshield, inside bottom view
Photo 3 – Shattered Windshield, outside viewThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on October 15, 2019. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Manufacturer's Report | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Pilatus Amm | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Ppg Sil | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N944BT on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Pilatus PC-12 1,447 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Pilatus 403 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67B 277 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Fort Lauderdale Executive · departed from
- Moore-Murrell Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Florida 6,111 since 1982 · 984 in the last ten years
- Florida 21,708 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA19LA137.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.