The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a single-engined

STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a conventional fixed-wing aircraft that has short runway requirements for takeoff and landing. Many STOL-designed aircraft also feature various arrangements for use on airstrips with harsh condi ...

utility aircraft designed by

Pilatus Aircraft Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. is an aerospace manufacturer located in Stans, Switzerland. In June 2016, the company employed 1,905 people. The company has mostly produced aircraft for niche markets, in particular short takeoff and landing (STOL) airc ...

of Switzerland. First flown in 1959, the PC-6 was produced at Pilatus Flugzeugwerke in Stans, Switzerland. It has been built in both

piston engine A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common feat ...

- and

turboprop A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. ...

-powered versions, and was produced under licence for a time by

Fairchild Hiller Fairchild was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York; Hagerstown, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas. History Early aircraft The company was founded by Sherman Fairchild in 19 ...

in the United States. After 604 deliveries in 63 years, Pilatus ended production in 2022.

Development

On 4 May 1959, the first prototype, powered by a 254 kW (340 shp)

, made its maiden flight. In early May 1961, the first ''Turbo Porter'', powered by a Turbomeca Astazou II turboprop engine, performed its initial flight.Fricker 1962, p. 38. In comparison to its earlier piston engine-powered incarnation, the Astazou II-equipped ''Turbo Porter'' had an increased gross capacity and top speed, as well as benefitting from the engine's automatic handling functions. These benefits came at the expense of a greater initial purchase cost and higher fuel consumption. Both the piston and turbine-engine versions of the PC-6 became quickly known for their Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) capabilities, requiring only a very short takeoff run before being ready for

rotation Rotation, or spin, is the circular movement of an object around a '' central axis''. A two-dimensional rotating object has only one possible central axis and can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A three-dimensional ...

prior to taking off.Fricker 1962, p. 102. Its unit cost in 1962 was $55,000Fricker 1962, p. 103. The initial turbine-powered models of the PC-6 were equipped with the Astazou II powerplant, however complaints of the reliability of this engine were made. Another early turboprop powerplant that became available for the PC-6 was the Garrett Air Research TPE 331. Some operators such as Air America chose to retrofit their Astazou II-powered PC-6s with the TPE 331 engine in its place.Leeker, Joe F
"Air America: Pilatus / Fairchild PC-6 Turbo Porters."
''University of Texas at Dallas'', 24 August 2015. In May 1996, the first PC-6 to be equipped with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine performed its maiden flight.Moll 1993, p. 65. To offset rising labour and manufacturing costs in Switzerland, Pilatus distributed manufacturing work on the PC-6 to other countries; in 1993,

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

-based Letov Kbely began manufacturing activity upon the type. Its unit cost in 2010 was $1,900,000. In 2013, Pilatus formed a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...

with Beijing Tian Xing Jian Yu Science Co., Ltd. to locally manufacture the PC-6 and the newer

Pilatus PC-12 The Pilatus PC-12 is a pressurized, single-engined, turboprop aircraft, manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Stans, Switzerland, since 1991. It was designed as a high-performance utility aircraft that incorporates a large aft cargo door in ...

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Co ...

, China; initially this facility performed subassembly work on the fuselage, and later other elements such as the wings and moving surfaces, which were conveyed to Pilatus' final assembly facility in Stans, Switzerland. Global production of the PC-6 shall be eventually transferred to the Chongqing facility. On 11 December 2014, the first Chinese-assembled PC-6 fuselage was completed. In 2014, the majority of PC-6s delivered that year were to Chinese customers. By April 2016, around 20 PC-6s were in operation in the Chinese market; the type has often been used to replace the

Antonov An-2 The Antonov An-2 ("kukuruznik"—corn crop duster; USAF/DoD reporting name Type 22, NATO reporting name Colt) is a Soviet mass-produced single-engine biplane utility/agricultural aircraft designed and manufactured by the Antonov Design Bure ...

, being reportedly cheaper to operate. The Porter was also manufactured under license by

in the United States. Roughly 100 of these licence-produced aircraft would be completed, being mainly purchased by civil operators within the US. A number of Fairchild Hiller-built PC-6s were also procured for military operations during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. It received the designation ''AU-23A Peacemaker'' for service with the U.S. Air Force. The Peacemaker was fitted with a side-firing 20mm XM-197 Gatling cannon, four wing pylons and a centre fuselage station for external ordnance. However, the AU-23A proved to be troublesome in service. All of them were returned to the continental U.S. and placed into storage after only a single year of operation. In 1979, a pair of UV-20s were assigned to the aviation detachment of the Berlin Brigade in Germany due to their suitability for operating within the heavily restricted airspace; they were fitted for carrying either cargo, up to eleven passengers, or three litters with four medical attendants. After nearly 600 deliveries in six decades including about 90 Fairchild-Hiller built and 425 PT6-powered, but only 52 in the last ten years, Pilatus will close the orderbook from summer 2018 and will roll off the last one in early 2019 while parts production will continue for at least 20 years. Due to pandemic delays, the last PC-6 Porter was instead delivered in December 2022 after 604 produced in 63 years.

Design

The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) utility aircraft. The majority of aircraft are powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine, which drives a fully reversible, constant-speed, three-bladed HC-B3TN-3D (or an alternative four-bladed HC-D4N-3P unit) Hartzell aluminium propeller via a reduction

gearbox Propulsion transmission is the mode of transmitting and controlling propulsion power of a machine. The term ''transmission'' properly refers to the whole drivetrain, including clutch, gearbox, prop shaft (for rear-wheel drive vehicles), diff ...

. Pilatus claims that it possesses unique STOL capabilities, capable of landing in places only otherwise accessible by rotorcraft. It is fully capable of being operated from unprepared rough airstrips, in remote areas, hot climates and at high altitudes in all-weather conditions. In particular, the undercarriage employed provides for high wing and propeller clearances, making the PC-6 less susceptible to damage than conventional nosewheel-type undercarriages. For further landing versatility, various types of

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Mart ...

may be optionally installed allowing it to operate from different types of terrain; options include floats for water landings and skis for landing on snow."PC-6: The World's Leading STOL."
''Pilatus Aircraft'', Retrieved: 17 March 2016. Early models of the PC-6 were equipped with a full instrument panel as standard, and were reportedly easy for unfamiliar pilots to intuit. Later-manufactured PC-6s are equipped with a Garmin G950

glass cockpit A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic (digital) flight instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, rather than the traditional style of analog dials and gauges. While a traditional cockpit relies on numerous ...

in place of analog instrumentation; the majority of earlier-produced PC-6s can also be retrofitted with a glass cockpit.Collins, Peter
"FLIGHT TEST: Pilatus PC-6."
''Flight International'', 28 September 2010. In addition to its flight functionality, the G950 system acts as a remote maintenance unit and

electronic flight bag An electronic flight bag (EFB) is an electronic information management device that helps flight crews perform flight management tasks more easily and efficiently with less paper providing the reference material often found in the pilot's carry- ...

all in one. Two large 10.4-inch

liquid-crystal display A liquid-crystal display (LCD) is a flat-panel display or other electronically modulated optical device that uses the light-modulating properties of liquid crystals combined with polarizers. Liquid crystals do not emit light directly but ...

s (LCDs) are present, functioning as the Primary Flight Display for all key flight information and the Multi-function Display for system/mission management respectively; fully independent secondary flight instrumentation is also provided to provide backup altitude, attitude, and airspeed information in the event of complete electrical failure. The cockpit has been designed for single pilot operations; additional flight controls for a co-pilot can be optionally fitted. Other optional features include an autopilot (capable of operating within all phases of flight), traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS), terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), weather radar, satellite phone,

LIDAR Lidar (, also LIDAR, or LiDAR; sometimes LADAR) is a method for determining ranges (variable distance) by targeting an object or a surface with a laser and measuring the time for the reflected light to return to the receiver. It can also be ...

forward-looking infrared Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation. The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other therma ...

(FLIR) and lightning detector; in addition, onboard electrical and avionics equipment are readily modifiable to conform with customer requirements. PC-6 Turbo-Porter cockpit

The airframe is of a rugged and low-maintenance construction; featuring high levels of accessibility, interchangeability, and favourable manning levels."PV-6 Turbo Porter: Anywhere, Anytime, in any Environment."
''Pilatus Aircraft'', Retrieved: 19 March 2016. The wings, fuselage, and empennage are manufactured using conventional semi-monocoque construction techniques, the primary structure being composed of aluminium; the central structure retains critical strength despite the cutout areas for the sliding doors of the main cabin.Fricker 1962, p. 101.

Corrosion Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engi ...

resistance is achieved via a combination of plating and a polyurethane-based

enamel paint Enamel paint is paint that air-dries to a hard, usually glossy, finish, used for coating surfaces that are outdoors or otherwise subject to hard wear or variations in temperature; it should not be confused with decorated objects in "painted ename ...

. The simple nature of the structure allows for ease of repair in the field. Features such as low-pressure tyres, twin-caliper

disc brake A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to h ...

s, and a highly energy-absorbent undercarriage enable the aircraft to be capable of operating from rough or otherwise challenging terrain. For role flexibility, individual aircraft can be easily converted between various mission types, such as transport, paradrop, aerial photography,

surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as ...

, air medical services and

search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

duties. A maximum of ten passengers, or a 2,200 lb payload, may be carried within the aircraft's main cabin area within the rear section of the fuselage; the standard passenger seats are designed to allow for rapid removal and may be stowed within an optional separate externally-accessed seat stowage compartment behind the main cabin. The main cabin area is furnished with

soundproofing Soundproofing is any means of impeding sound propagation. There are several basic approaches to reducing sound: increasing the distance between source and receiver, decoupling, using noise barriers to reflect or absorb the energy of the sound w ...

measures, ventilation, and heating as standard. A maximum of three fuel tanks can also be carried in the main cabin, accordingly reducing payload capacity, to increase the aircraft's flight endurance. In addition to the large sliding doors at either side of the main cabin, separate hinged doors are present on either side of the cockpit; an optional pilot-controlled trapdoor, to accommodate supply drops or surveillance payloads, may also be installed in the center of the cabin floor without any design changes required. Additional equipment include a

firefighting Firefighting is the act of extinguishing or preventing the spread of unwanted fires from threatening human lives and destroying property and the environment. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter. Firefighters typically ...

system, aerial application system, underwing tanks,

sand filter Sand filters are used as a step in the water treatment process of water purification. There are three main types; rapid (gravity) sand filters, upward flow sand filters and slow sand filters. All three methods are used extensively in the water i ...

s, propeller de-icing system, mudguard, tailwheel debris guard, oxygen system, and additional power distribution system.

Operational history

The PC-6 is noted for its ''Short Takeoff and Landing'' (

) performance on almost any type of terrain - it can take off within a distance of and land within a distance of while carrying a payload of 2,646 lbs (1,200 kg). Thanks to its STOL performance, the PC-6 holds the world record for highest landing by a

fixed-wing aircraft A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using wings that generate lift caused by the aircraft's forward airspeed and the shape of the wings. Fixed-wing aircraft are dist ...

, at , on the Dhaulagiri glacier in

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...

. Due to the type's favourable STOL characteristics, described by the magazine ''Flying'' as being "one of the most helicopter-like airplanes in terms of takeoff performance", Pilatus has deliberately marketed the PC-6 towards helicopter operators at times, feeling the type to be complementary to their typical mode of operation. According to Pilatus, the PC-6 can provide very similar surveillance capabilities to a rotorcraft at a significantly lower cost to operate and procure.Moxon, Julian
"Small is beautiful."
''Flight International'', 12 June 1996. Peruvian Air Force Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter

Peruvian Air Force Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter

During its early service, the PC-6 Porter was noted for its high level of comfort and usability against competing aircraft. The type has also proven to have a long service life; by 1993, roughly 440 of the 500 PC-6 Turbo Porters completed by that point were still in service.Moll 1993, p. 64. During the 1960s and 1970s, the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

(CIA)-controlled airline Air America operated up to 23 PC-6s at a time. Many of these were operated in the South-East Asia region, including

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...

during the Vietnam War. The type was used for various missions including paradropping supplies to troops, passenger transport,

psy ops Psychological warfare (PSYWAR), or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations (PsyOp), have been known by many other names or terms, including Military Information Support Operations (MISO), Psy Ops, political warfare, "Hearts and Mi ...

, reconnaissance, prisoner conveyance,

airborne radio relay Airborne radio relay is a technique employing aircraft fitted with radio relay stations for the purpose of increasing the range, flexibility, or physical security of communications systems. The aircraft may be manned or unmanned aerial vehicles. Us ...

, and other intelligence operations. Since 1976, the

Austrian Air Force The Austrian Air Force (german: Österreichische Luftstreitkräfte, , Austrian Air Combat Force) is a component part of the Austrian Armed Forces. History The Austrian Air Force in its current form was created in May 1955 by the victorious A ...

has operated a fleet of 12 PC-6 Porters as the mainstay of their fixed-wing transport fleet; the type has been used in various support roles, including transport, Search and Rescue, firefighting, observation, target-towing and paradropping. According to ''Flying'' magazine, around 40 per cent of all PC-6s in use in Europe during the early 1990s were being used by

skydivers Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes. For ...

Variants

Metrum Pilatus PC-6 B2-H4 Turbo Porter YL-CCQ

;PC-6/340 Porter :Initial production version, powered by a 254-kW (340-hp) Lycoming GSO-480-B1A6 flat-six piston engine. Max takeoff weight 1,960 kg (4,320 lb).Taylor 1965, pp. 126–127. :;PC-6/340-H1 Porter ::As PC-6/340, but with modified landing gear and increased weight (2,016 kg (4,444 lb)). :;PC-6/340-H2 Porter ::As for H-2, but with maximum takeoff weight increased to 2,200 kg (4,850 lb). ;PC-6/350 Porter :As PC-6/340, but powered by a 261 kW (350 hp) Lycoming IGO-540-A1A piston engine. :;PC-6/350-H1 Porter ::As for /340 H1 but with O-540 engine. :;PC-6/350-H2 Porter ::As for 340 H2 with O-540 engine. ;PC-6/A Turbo-Porter :Initial turboprop powered version, fitted with a 390 kW (523 shp)

Turbomeca Astazou The Turbomeca Astazou is a highly successful series of turboprop and turboshaft engines, first run in 1957. The original version weighed and developed at 40,000 rpm. It was admitted for aviation service on May 29, 1961, after a 150-hour test ...

IIE or IIG turboprop engine. ;PC-6/A1 Turbo-Porter :This 1968 version was powered by a 427-kW (573-shp) Turbomeca Astazou XII turboprop engine. ;PC-6/A2 Turbo-Porter :This 1971 version was powered by a 427-kW (573-shp) Turbomeca Astazou XIVE turboprop engine. ;PC-6/B Turbo-Porter :This version was powered by a 410-kW (550-shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-6A turboprop engine. ;PC-6/B1 Turbo-Porter :Similar to the PC-6/B, but fitted with a 410-kW (550-shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 turboprop engine. ;PC-6/B2-H2 Turbo-Porter :Fitted with a 507-kW (680-shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 turboprop engine. ;PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo-Porter :The B2-H4 has improved airframe structuring and extended, upturned wingtips. ;PC-6/C Turbo-Porter :One prototype built by

Fairchild Industries Fairchild was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company based at various times in Farmingdale, New York; Hagerstown, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas. History Early aircraft The company was founded by Sherman Fairchild in 19 ...

in the United States, powered by a 429-kW (575-shp)

Garrett TPE331 The Honeywell TPE331 (military designation: T76) is a turboprop engine. It was originally designed in the 1950s by Garrett AiResearch, and produced since 1999 by Honeywell Aerospace. The engine's power output ranges from . Design and develo ...

-25D turboprop engine. ;PC-6/C1 Turbo-Porter :Similar to the PC-6/C, but fitted with a 429-kW (575-shp) Garrett TPE 331-1-100 turboprop engine. ;PC-6/C2-H2 Porter :Developed by Fairchild Industries in the USA. It was powered by a 485-ekW (650-ehp) Garrett TPE 331-101F turboprop engine. ;PC-6/D-H3 Porter :One prototype, fitted with a 373-kW (500-hp) avco Lycoming turbocharged piston engine. ; AU-23A Peacemaker :Armed gunship, counter-insurgency, utility transport version for the U.S. Air Force. It was used during the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. 15 were built under licence in the USA by Fairchild Industries. All aircraft were sold to Royal Thai Air Force. ;OV-12 :Designation for U.S. version, cancelled 1979. ;UV-20A Chiricahua :STOL utility transport version for the U.S. Army. Two UV-20As were based in

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

from late 1979 till 1991. ; PC-8D Twin Porter :Twin-engined version flown in 1967, but not subsequently developed.

Operators

Current military operators

Former military operators

Law enforcement operators

Civil operators

File:Continental Air Service's Pilatus Turbo Porter Landing Up Country in Laos, 1969 - Flickr - The Central Intelligence Agency.jpg,

Continental Air Services Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started o ...

' PC-6, 1969 File:Continental Air Services Inc. Porter 01.jpg,

PC-6 Porter in

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist s ...

, ca. 1970 File:Pilatus PC-6-B2-H4 Turbo Porter, Swissboogie AN0805653.jpg, Swissboogie PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter, 2005 File:Airborne magnetometer.jpg,

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

PC-6 Porter, 2007 File:ZK-MCN 2 Pilatus Turbo Porter Mt Cook Ski Planes Franz Joseph Glacier 09JAN99 (6934547689).jpg, Mount Cook Ski Planes PC-6 upon

Franz Josef Glacier The Franz Josef Glacier (; officially Franz Josef Glacier / ) is a temperate maritime glacier in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Together with the Fox Glacier to the south, and a third glac ...

, 1999

Former civil operators

File:Pilatus PC-6-B2-H2 Turbo Porter EPS de la Moselle, LFGR Doncourt-les-Conflans, France PP1248766174.jpg, PC-6 prior to landing, 2009 File:Pilatus_PC-6_F-GLEU_(10654203326).jpg, A low-passing PC-6, 2009 File:Pilatus PC-6-B2-H2 Turbo Porter, Private JP6822824.jpg, Pilatus PC-6/B2-H2, 2010

Accidents and incidents

* 12 November 1991 - An Australian Army Turbo Porter A14-683 crashed after it stalled on take off, two soldiers were killed. The inquiry put pilot error onto the incident. The Aircraft was written off * 26 December 1999 - A Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo porter registration HB-FKJ crashed near

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...

. Because of heavy turbulence, a wing broke away from the fuselage causing the plane to crash; the two people aboard died. * 15 March 2002 - A

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

Pilatus UV-20A collided in midair with a Cessna 182C during parachute jumping operations at

Marana Regional Airport Marana Regional Airport , also known as Marana Northwest Regional Airport or Avra Valley Airport, is a non-towered, general aviation airport about 15 miles (13 nmi; 24 km) northwest of Tucson, Arizona in Marana a town in Pima County, ...

, near Marana, Arizona. While the Cessna was able to land, the Pilatus entered an uncontrolled dive and crashed, killing the pilot and destroying the aircraft. * 30 May 2008 - A Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo porter registration EC-JXH crashed near

Lillo, Spain Lillo is a small farming town in Spain, 94 km south of the capital Madrid. The town has a population of 1000. One main feature of the town other than its agricultural aspects is the airport located on the edge of the surban area of the tow ...

. After going into a stall, the plane's left wing broke causing the door to open, allowing nine skydivers to jump out and survive. One skydiver and the pilot died in the crash. * 25 April 2012 - A Pilatus PC-6 (PK VVQ), operated by Susi Air, crashed in Kalimantan Timur, Melak district killing the pilot and passenger(s) which was engaged in an Aerial Survey of the area. The aircraft was reported missing at 1710 LT on 25 April with the wreckage found on 26 April, thus confirming the condition of the occupants/aircraft. * 19 October 2013 - A Pilatus PC-6/B2-H4 Turbo Porter registration OO-NAC carrying ten skydivers (instructors and students) and a pilot, lost height and impacted terrain at Fernelmont some ten minutes after takeoff from nearby Namur-Suarlée Airport (EBNM), Belgium. All aboard died. The aircraft (S/N 710) was built in 1969 and had been rebuilt in 2002 by Pilatus Flugzeugwerke following a takeoff accident at Moorsele (EBMO) on 12 March 2000. * 19 June 2016 - A Pilatus PC-6 disintegrated in midair while carrying seven skydivers for practice in Beja, Portugal. All skydivers survived, although two were severely wounded. The pilot was the single fatality. * 30 August 2022 - A South African Police Service PC-6 crashed shortly after taking off from Rand Airport, South Africa. All five passengers died during the accident. The pilot was the sole survivor and was severely injured.

Specifications (PC-6 B2 Turbo-Porter)

Fairchild_AU-23A_Peacemaker_with_XM197_20mm_cannon

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Fricker, John
"Pilot Report: Pilatus".
''Flying Magazine'', Vol. 70, No. 4. April 1962. ISSN 0015-4806. pp. 38, 100–103. * Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". ''

Flight International ''Flight International'' is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", it is the world's olde ...

'', Vol. 180, No. 5321, 13–19 December 2011. pp. 26–52. . * Hoyle, Craig. "World Air Forces Directory". ''Flight International'', Vol. 180, No. 5517, 8–14 December 2015. pp. 26–53. ISSN 0015-3710. * * * Isserman, Maurice., Stewart Angas Weaver and Dee Molenaar. ''Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes.'' Yale University Press, 2008. . * Johnson, E.R. and Lloyd S. Jones. ''American Military Transport Aircraft Since 1925.'' McFarland, 2013. . * Lambert, Mark. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1993–1994''. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Data Division, 1993. . * Moll, Nigel
"Ugly is Only Skin-Deep."
''Flying Magazine'', Vol. 120, No. 2. February 1993. ISSN 0015-4806. pp. 62–68. * Taylor, John W. R. ''Janes's All The World's Aircraft 1965–66''. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1965. * Taylor, Michael J. H. ''Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000 Edition''. London: Brassey's, 1999. .
Accident Pilatus PC-6/B1-H2 Turbo Porter A14-683, 12 Nov 1991

External links

Pilatus PC-6 Porter webpage

The PILATUS PORTER World by Markus Herzig
{{ADF aircraft prefixes PC-06 1950s Swiss civil utility aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft High-wing aircraft Single-engined turboprop aircraft Articles containing video clips Aircraft first flown in 1959 STOL aircraft