Aviation drama in Portugal with a Pilatus. The pilot, Jerome Vanoutryve, from Messancy, died. There were 7 people on board.
The accident occurred last Sunday in southern Portugal. Jerôme Vanoutryve, 27, was flying a Pilatus aircraft. There were 7 people on board. For some reason yet to be determined, the aircraft would be dislocated in flight, leaving no chance to the pilot who died. The accident also caused injuries to the seven passengers; two are seriously injured.
Jerome Vanoutryve was a frequent user of Saint-Hubert airfield, where everyone knew him. From 2011 to 2013, he became deputy commander of Saint-Hubert airfield on behalf of Idelux. His tragic loss has caused consternation.
Marc Degimbre, commander of the airfield, remembers “Jerome Vanoutryve was not thirty. Seasoned pilot, both on glider and plane, he was a regular at the airport of Saint-Hubert. He was known and recognized as a competent pilot, careful and serious. He made his airline pilot studies in Newcag Aviation in Charleroi, a reputable school. He worked now for a Portuguese company that operates a civilian skydiving school in Beja, southern Portugal. ”
Again a Pilatus PC-6. A problem with this brand?
Marc Degimbre does not think so. For him, the Pilatus aircraft remains a reliable “The Pilatus PC-6 Porter can carry 10 people. It might have lost part of the tailplane at above 2000 m altitude, making steering impossible. The plane fell in free fall. Several people were able to get out with a parachute, but Jerome did not have a parachute and had no chance. If the accident is similar to that of Temploux, it is important not to conclude that the type of aircraft used is not reliable. The Pilatus, like all aircraft, is a perfectly safe aircraft. The thing is to respect the limits and maximum stress of the machine and some pilots before Jerome, may have surpassed them on the D-FSCB aircraft“.
As Marc Degimbre, the entire aviation community of St. Hubert is in mourning. It loses a valued friend and a talented pilot.
Source: L’Avenir
Previous slying experience of this pilot.