Autopilot loss, erratic maneuvers preceded fatal July plane crash

GILLETTE, Wyo. — The pilot in a fatal plane crash that claimed the lives of seven people near Recluse reported losing the autopilot and was trying to regain control of the aircraft moments before it hit the ground, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. 

The crash happened shortly after 1 p.m. July 26, when a single-engine Pilatus PC-12 struck remote terrain approximately 12 miles northeast of Recluse, according to the preliminary crash report released by the NTSB. 

On board were pilot Larry Haynie, his wife Melissa, Jason Clark, Kelly Nelon Clark, Amber and Nathan Kistler and Melodi Hodges. There were no survivors. 

According to the preliminary report, flight data from the FAA showed the aircraft departed from the Nebraska City Municipal Airport in Nebraska at noon. An hour later, the aircraft maneuvered to the right of the course and climbed above 27,500 feet. It then performed a 270-degree right turn before turning another 180 degrees and plummeting to 25,250 feet. 

Haynie reported losing his autopilot to the Salt Lake City Air Route Traffic Control Center and declared an emergency. He reported trying to get control of the aircraft before communications ceased and the plane’s radar signal was lost, per the preliminary report. 

An alert was issued for the aircraft, which was ultimately located by local law enforcement personnel nestled in a crater 41 feet wide, 10 feet long, and 6 feet deep. Most of the wreckage was embedded in the ground, NTSB says. 

Per the preliminary report, airplane fragments were scattered 300 feet around the main wreckage and pieces of the wings were found nearly a mile away. The crash sparked a grassfire that consumed dozens of acres to the west.

One witness reported seeing the aircraft in a barrel roll maneuver while the engine roared and heard it crash into the ground. Another witness heard a loud whining noise that diminished and then increased. Both witnesses reported seeing smoke in the area shortly after the crash, according to the NTSB. 

The plane has since been recovered to a secure location for further examination. The full investigation into the crash could take up to two years to complete, the NTSB says.