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:
- The NTSB released its preliminary report on the December 29, 2016 crash of a Cessna Citation CJ4 into Lake Erie, which claimed the lives of all six people aboard.
- The private jet disappeared about a minute after departing Cleveland’s Burke Lakefront Airport, despite VFR conditions prevailing at takeoff.
- ADS-B data indicates the aircraft reached an altitude higher than assigned before entering a rapid descending right turn that continued until it crashed into the lake.
- The pilot held relevant ratings and had completed recent training, and the 2012 aircraft had also undergone maintenance shortly before the accident.
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