N990PT

On November 10, 2002, about 1015 central standard time, a Pilatus PC-12/45, N990PT, registered to Taylor Energy Co., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed while attempting a landing in the vicinity of Foxworth, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage, and the commercial- rated pilot and five passengers were not injured. The flight departed McComb, Mississippi, about 20 minutes before the accident.

According to the pilot, he was attempting a landing at a private airstrip named Circle Bar Ranch. Prior to attempting landing on the strip's runway 27, he obtained surface weather and winds from the closest reporting station, McComb, Mississippi. At 0930, the reported ceiling at McComb was 2,000 feet broken clouds with winds from 210 degrees at 12, gusting to 18 knots. The pilot stated he had landed at the airstrip numerous times, and had observed the runway windsock prior to the accident. He was carrying 5 to 10 knots extra approach speed, but when the aircraft was about 30 feet above the runway, the aircraft encountered a strong gust or wind shear that caused the aircraft to descend rapidly and the cockpit stick shaker to activate. He applied power to attempt a go-around, but a hard touchdown resulted, causing a bounced landing, a roll to the right, and a loss of directional control off the right side of the runway. The aircraft collided with trees and brush adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported that no malfunctions of the aircraft during the approach occurred.

According to an FAA inspector, the runway is 40 feet wide by 2,400 feet long, and the windsock is located at the departure end of runway 27. He noted that the approach end of runway 27 actually begins inside a cut out area of the tree line and a standard glide path brings the aircraft too close to the tree tops. The pilot stated, "The approach needed to land is steeper than most public airports due to the trees." The aircraft sustained crushing of the right wing outer panel and spar extension about 3 to 4 feet inboard of the right wingtip.

No convective activity was reported at either McComb or Hattiesburg's closest (to the time of the accident) reported weather reports that might have caused wind gust-front activity. The winds reported by McComb, (29 miles west of the airstrip) were from 220 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 23 knots. The winds reported by Hattiesburg, (31 miles east-northeast of the airstrip) were from 210 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 22 knots.