A tragic accident killed 5 people yesterday in the US state of Nevada, including the patient on a medical flight.
The case happened last night involving a singleengine Pilatus PC12 turboprop operated by Guardian Flight, an aeromedical transport company. On board were a pilot, 3 doctors and the patient who was being transferred from Reno, Nevada to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Aircraft registration N273SM was operating standard Reno exit procedure, turning right shortly after returning to original course. But a few moments later it turned right again and began to descend.
Air traffic control noticed that the plane had disappeared from radar and called for it, but received no answer. The air traffic controller requested assistance from a Southwest plane that was near the area, but due to heavy snowfall and turbulence, the Boeing 737 pilots were unable to see the plane.
Heavy snowfalls hitting the entire American west coast have caused road closures and even historic rains in one of the driest regions of the US. Despite this, Reno and the Lake Tahoe region always snows, making it a popular destination for winter sports enthusiasts.
Preliminary data from flight tracking platforms FlightRadar24 and ADSB Exchange indicates that the aircraft achieved a rate of descent of 30,000 feet per minute (descent of 9,000 meters in 60 seconds), which is up to 10 times faster than a descent recorded in the Aviation is already considered fast. indicating an almost vertical fall.
Hours later, the plane was found wrecked near a road in the town of Stagecoach. The NTSB has launched an investigation, but details of the case have yet to be released.
Commercial pilot Juan Browne ‘Blancolirio’, known for his technical explanations and reflections on aeronautical investigations, commented on his YouTube channel on the preliminary information of the case, which may indicate a case of spatial disorientation or wing icing. He also highlighted the fact that the operations of medical aircraft, which always operate with some degree of urgency, are carried out by just one pilot: