N854AL

PILATUS PC-12/45 · 2001 · Fixed-wing single-engine · 1 engine · 12 seats · Valid Registration

Registered owner: AIR METHODS LLC, CO (owner ≠ operator)

Operators of this aircraft

Who operated this tail, and how firmly we know it.

OperatorRolePeriodBasis
Air Methods Corp. (QMLA)Certificate holderMatched by certificate designator

Accident & incident history

No NTSB accidents or incidents on file for this aircraft.

Maintenance disclosures

Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA for this airframe. Filing is largely voluntary — the number of reports is not a measure of reliability. To verify a report, search its control number at the FAA SDRS site.

9 reports on file, 2015-03-27 – 2026-03-14.

FLT CONT AFFECTED · 2026-03-14 Matched by certificate designator
ATA 2297

Part: CIRCUIT BREAKER — FAULTED (ZONE 200) · airframe 19,366 hrs · 24,072 cycles

RED A/P TRIM LIGHT WITH ASSOCIATED ALARMS & CHIMES. PITCH TRIM EXCURSIONS CAUSING ALTITUDE DEVIATION. RESET AP TRIM CB OPS CHECKED GOOD. RTS

Source: SDR QMLA2026031620017
WARNING INDICATION · 2025-10-22 Matched by certificate designator
ATA 2820

Part: FUEL FILTER — WARNING MESSAGE · airframe 18,876 hrs · 23,462 cycles

FUEL PRESS CAWS INDICATION DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THAT DID NOT EXTINGUISH. FUEL CAWS LIGHT , INSPECTED, REPLACED FUEL FILTER, RTS.

Source: SDR QMLA2025102320107
OTHER · 2025-01-29 Matched by certificate designator
ATA 3240

Part: BRAKE ASSY — FAULTED (LT MLG) · airframe 17,979 hrs · 22,398 cycles

LEFT BRAKE HAD GRINDING NOISE AND WAS GRABBING UPON BRAKE APPLICATION.

Source: SDR QMLA2025013020010
OTHER · 2024-07-20 Matched by certificate designator
ATA 3240

Part: BRAKE ASSY — LOCKED (BRAKE PLATE) · airframe 17,305 hrs · 21,623 cycles

DURING TOWING OF THE AIRCRAFT THE RH BRAKE ASSEMBLY LOCKED UP AND WOULD NOT ROTATE. THE BRAKE PLATE BROKE APART AND JAMMED THE WHEEL FROM ROTATING

Source: SDR QMLA2024072320090
FLT CONT AFFECTED; WARNING INDICATION · 2024-06-21 Matched by certificate designator
ATA 2200

Part: RELAY — FAULTED · airframe 17,196 hrs · 21,499 cycles

AFTER TAKEOFF, RETRACTED THE GEAR AND TURNED ON YAW DAMPER, GOT THE RUNAWAY TRIM TONE AND AIRPLANE TRIED TO CLIMB 5000 + FT PER MIN, PUSHED THE TRIM INTERRUPT SWITCH, TURNED TOWARD THE RUNAWAY AND DECLARED EMERGENCY, LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. DETERMINED THE MOST PROBABLE CAUSE WOULD BE FROM A FAILURE OF RELAYS K21 & K22. REPLACED BOTH RELAYS (PN 974.20.01.212) IAW AMM 24-00-00 AND WD 27-40-00. PERFORMED HORIZONTAL STAB TEST 27-40-00 AND AUTO PILOT CHECK 22-10-00 WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. PERFORMED FLIGHT OPS CHECK IAW POH. SYSTEMS OPERATED WITHOUT DEFECT AND AIRCRAFT WAS DEEMED AIRWORTHY AND RETURNED TO SERVICE.

Source: SDR QMLA2024062120065
WARNING INDICATION · 2024-01-12 Matched by certificate designator
ATA 2750

Part: WARNING UNIT — UNSERVICEABLE (UNKNOWN) · airframe 16,753 hrs · 21,019 cycles

ENCOUNTERED SOME LIGHT TURBULENCE LEAVING DENVER IN CRUISE, FLAPS CAWS INDICATION. REALLY STRANGE TIME FOR THAT SINCE NOTHING WAS BEING CYCLED. FLAPS FAILED AT 0, NO BREAKERS POPPED. LANDED AT BASE WITH NO OTHER ISSUES.

Source: SDR QMLA2024011520004
WARNING INDICATION · 2023-11-13 Matched by certificate designator
ATA 3000

Part: CIRCUIT BOARD — BURNED (AOA) · airframe 16,565 hrs · 20,815 cycles

RTB LEG KAPA TO KRAP AT CRUISE. AOA DEICE CAWS INDICATION. RAN QRH WITH NO EFFECT. APPROX 15 MINUTES LATER IT BEGAN WORKING AGAIN. APPROX 20 MINUTES AFTER THAT, SAME THING HAPPENED. BEGAN WORKING AGAIN PRIOR TO LANDING IN RAPID CITY.

Source: SDR QMLA2023111420105
SMOKE/FUMES/ODORS/SPARKS · 2021-07-14 Matched by certificate designator
ATA 2121

Part: MOTOR — SMOKE (EVAPORATOR) · airframe 14,109 hrs · 18,019 cycles

TAXIING OUT TO THE RUNWAY A SLIGHT SMELL OCCURRED. I PULLED THE AIRCRAFT TO A VACANT LEAD-IN TAXIWAY AND CAME TO A STOP. TOLD THE TOWER I MAY NEED SOME TIME. I THEN SHUT OFF ECS TO SEE IF THE SMELL WENT AWAY ( I COULDN'T TELL) ASKED THE CREW IF THEY COULD TELL. NO DIFFERENCE. THEN TURNED OFF AIR-CONDITIONING AND BLOWER. AGAIN ASKED THE CREW IF THEY COULD TELL A DIFFERENCE. THEY DIDN'T. I COULDN'T TELL IF THE SMELL WAS BETTER OR NOT, IT SEEMED A BIT BETTER. I THEN TURNED THE ECS BACK ON TO SEE IF THIS THEN WOULD INCREASE THE SMELL. NOTHING EITHER WAY. I THEN TURNED AC BACK ON TO SEE IF THAT WOULD INCREASE THE SMELL. COULDN'T TELL IF AN INCREASE OR DECREASE. AT THIS TIME I TOLD THE GROUND I WAS GOING TO RETURN TO BASE. TAXING BACK THE CREW SAID THAT THEY NOTICED SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE VENTS BLOWING ON ME BECAUSE THE LIGHT HIT IT JUST RIGHT. THEN I SHUT ALL ELECTRICAL OFF AND SHUT OFF AIRCRAFT. WE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND CALLED MAINTENANCE. AFTER CALLING RAD, HE SUGGESTED I UNHOOK THE BATTERY IF ABLE TILL MAINTENANCE ARRIVED TO MAKE SURE NO SHORT COULD HAPPEN. TROUBLESHOT SOURCE OF SMELL TO AIR CONDITIONING EVAPORATOR BLOWERS. ELECTRICAL/OZONE BURNING SMELL PRESENT WHEN FANS ARE ENERGIZED AT LOWEST SPEED.

Source: SDR QMLA2021071520037
SMOKE/FUMES/ODORS/SPARKS · 2015-03-27 Matched by certificate designator
ATA 2120

Part: UNKNOWN — ODOR (CABIN) · airframe 8,494 hrs · 11,707 cycles

A MEMBER OF THE MEDICAL CREW NOTICED AN UNIDENTIFIABLE ODOR SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. PIC DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING, BUT CLEARED OTHER MEDICAL MEMBER OUT OF HIS SEAT TO INVESTIGATE. HE DID NOT FIND ANYTHING BURNING OR SMOKING, BUT BEGAN TO NOTICE THE ODOR HIMSELF. AT THIS POINT, WE ELECTED AS A CREW TO TURN BACK & LAND. TALKING TO ATC, TURN BACK & LANDING WERE UNEVENTFUL, EXCEPT FOR THE ODOR GETTING STRONGER TO THE MEDICAL CREW. PIC STILL DID NOT SMELL ANYTHING. TAXIING IN, AFTER TURNING OFF THE ECS, THE SMELL BECAME NOTICEABLE TO THE PIC. AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN & THEN ENTERING THE MEDICAL CABIN, PIC COULD SMELL STRONG ACRID ODOR. ACFT TURNED OVER TO MX.

Source: SDR QMLA2015032715021