Three turbulent piloted methane jet flames with increasing levels of local extinction (Sandia Flames D-F) have been computed using Large Eddy Simulation. The smallest unresolved scales of the flow, in which combustion occurs, are represented using the filtered probability density function method where the corresponding evolution equation is solved directly. A dynamic model for the sub-grid stresses together with a simple gradient diffusion approximation for the scalar fluxes is applied in conjunction with the linear mean square estimation closure for sub-filter scale mixing. An augmented reduced mechanism (ARM) derived from the full GRI 3.0 mechanism is incorporated to describe the chemical reaction. The results demonstrate the ability of the method in capturing quantitatively finite rate effects such as extinction and re-ignition in turbulent flames. (C) 2010 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.