Pilatus PC-24 buyer's guide:
what the records reveal

The U.S. fleet at a glance

The FAA registry lists 181 Pilatus PC-24 aircraft, built between 2018 and 2025. The largest concentrations are registered in NH (19), UT (14), CA (14). A large, active fleet works in a buyer's favor: parts supply, mechanic familiarity and comparable sale prices are all easier to establish than on a rare type.

Where this fleet reports maintenance difficulties

FAA Service Difficulty Reports are filed by mechanics and operators when a component fails or malfunctions in service. Across the Pilatus PC-24 fleet, 18 reports have been filed against this type since 2023 — most airframes have zero reports on file, with a mean of 0.1 per airframe. The systems mechanics report most on this type:

• JASC 32 — Landing Gear : 5 reports fleet-wide
• JASC 27 — Flight Controls : 3 reports fleet-wide
• JASC 24 — Electrical Power : 2 reports fleet-wide
• JASC 21 — Air Conditioning : 2 reports fleet-wide
• JASC 79 — Engine Oil : 1 report fleet-wide

Filing is voluntary, so these figures understate reality — but the RELATIVE weight of each system is exactly where an experienced buyer points the pre-buy inspection first. Reconciliation note: 34 further reports filed under these registrations were excluded because the aircraft model declared in the report shows they belong to previous holders of the same N-numbers.

The accident record, in numbers

The NTSB database holds 0 accident or incident records serial-matched to Pilatus PC-24 airframes in this fleet since 2008. A further 6 records filed under the same N-numbers belong to different airframes (reused registrations) and are excluded.

Method: the denominator is the fleet currently on the FAA registry. Airframes destroyed and later deregistered leave that denominator, so this ratio understates lifetime accident history — read it as a fleet-profile indicator, not an accident rate. Fleet totals also reflect how the type is flown (training and commercial work versus private use), not just the machine itself.

Fleet-level counts tell you about the TYPE; what matters for your purchase is whether the specific airframe you are considering appears in that database — and U.S. registrations get reused, so a serial-number check matters. That per-aircraft lookup is exactly what a TailGuard report does.

Airworthiness directives to know about

14 airworthiness directives published since 2020 in our Federal Register database and matched to this type are currently open. The full list of directives applicable to an older airframe is longer — build it at drs.faa.gov. The most recent in our database:

• AD 2026-07-10 · effective 2026-05-19 — revising the ALS of the existing AMM or ICA for your airplane
• AD 2025-20-02 · effective 2025-12-30 — report of an inaccurate flight director calculation on approach
• AD 2025-10-10 · effective 2025-07-07 — periodic replacement of affected titanium threaded bolts, a one-time inspection of the rudder mass balance arm and other elements of the rudder trim tab installation for correct at
• AD 2023-15-06 · effective 2023-09-27 — reports of an electrical burning smell in the cabin without the presence of smoke
• AD 2023-12-04 · effective 2023-08-07 — report that an incorrect wiring arrangement was detected around the weather radar system
• AD 2022-08-09 · effective 2022-06-14 — failure of the dual ethernet communication channel on a dual-channel data concentration and processing unit, which triggered the opening of electronic circuit b

Superseded directives are excluded from these counts. Directives apply by type — no database can tell you whether a given airframe complied. Only its logbooks can, and that is the single most important paperwork check of your pre-buy.

Ownership turnover

Comparing monthly FAA registry snapshots from Aug 2023 to Jun 2026, 90 of the 181 observed Pilatus PC-24 airframes — 49.7% — changed registrant at least once. This includes registrant-name changes that are not market sales — such as a transfer to an owner's LLC or trust — and newly delivered aircraft registered to their first buyer within the window. A recent ownership change is not a red flag by itself, but a rapid succession of owners deserves a direct question to the seller, and the registration timeline of the specific aircraft is worth reading before you negotiate.

Before you buy a Pilatus PC-24

A records-driven starting checklist for this type — derived from the figures above, to hand to your mechanic:

1. Inspect the landing gear closely — it is among the most-reported systems for this type in FAA Service Difficulty Reports (5 reports fleet-wide).
2. Inspect the flight controls closely — it is among the most-reported systems for this type in FAA Service Difficulty Reports (3 reports fleet-wide).
3. Inspect the electrical power closely — it is among the most-reported systems for this type in FAA Service Difficulty Reports (2 reports fleet-wide).
4. Check logbook compliance with every open airworthiness directive matched to this type — directives apply by model, only the logbooks prove compliance.
5. Confirm engine and airframe times against the logbooks and the most recent annual inspection.
6. Have a licensed A&P/IA perform a physical pre-purchase inspection — no records check replaces it.