The National Transportation Safety Board last week published its preliminary report — essentially a list of the facts gathered to this point — about the December 29, 2016, crash into Lake Erie of a Cessna Citation CJ4. The Part 91-operated jet disappeared into the dark waters of the lake about a minute after departing Cleveland’s Burke Lakefront Airport (BKL). Although the airplane was operating on an IFR flight plan, VFR conditions prevailed at takeoff. The Citation’s short flight was returning the aircraft owners and some friends to the aircraft’s home airport at Ohio State University in Columbus. The accident claimed the lives of all six people aboard, one of whom was the pilot.
NTSB Posts Preliminary Report on Cleveland CJ Crash
Key Takeaways:
- A Cessna Citation CJ4 crashed into Lake Erie on December 29, 2016, shortly after departing Cleveland, killing all six people aboard.
- The NTSB's preliminary report indicates the jet climbed to 2,925 feet msl (1,000 feet higher than assigned) before entering a rapid descending right turn into the lake.
- The pilot, holding multiple ratings and a recent type rating for the aircraft series, had completed simulator training just 12 days prior to the accident.
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