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All seven on board a Pilatus PC-12, including three members of a Georgia-based Hall of Fame gospel singing group, were killed when it crashed on Friday near the Wyoming/Montana border. The accident occurred shortly after the pilot, a family friend of the group members, reported an issue with the autopilot and a loss of control. ADS-B data shows that the trip—which ultimately covered three time zones—originated at 9:24 a.m. EDT from Georgia Regional Airport (KCTJ), stopped at Nebraska City Municipal Airport (KAFK), where a local news outlet reported it took on 200 to 300 gallons, and departed for Billings Logan International Airport in Montana at noon CDT.
About two hours into the flight, while cruising at 26,000 feet, tracking data shows a series of altitude, speed and heading fluctuations. The pilot reportedly told controllers he had an autopilot issue and was losing control. At one point, the ADS-B data recorded on FlightAware showed a descent rate of 5,545 feet per minute. The airplane crashed near the town of Gillette, Wyoming, about 1:00 local time (MDT), sparking a small fire that was reportedly quickly contained. No one on the ground was injured.
The pilot was identified as Larry Haynie, chairman of the Georgia Board of Corrections. The 2010-model, 11-seat PC-12/47E (N357HE) was registered to Haynie Enterprises of Henderson, Nevada, on Aug. 31, 2020. Haynie’s wife Melissa Haynie was also on board.
