PC-12s subject of airworthiness bulletin

In a special airworthiness information bulletin published on February 13, the FAA advised owners and operators of PC-12s to incorporate operational limitations that the Swiss civil aviation authority issued earlier this year as an emergency AD. According to the FAA, the AD was prompted by several incidents on approach where an abrupt nose-down pitch occurred after the autopilot was disconnected when the flaps were at 40 degrees. As a temporary measure, Swiss-registered operators of the turboprop single are required to revise the limitations section of their POH to instruct pilots to disengage the autopilot before selecting 40 degrees of flap. The FAA is not issuing a similar AD at this time, but is recommending that the temporary revisions be incorporated in U.S.-registered PC-12s. A spokesman at Pilatus Business Aircraft in Broomfield, Colo., told AIN that the company is “working on a resolution to address the issue.”