Cessna 525 accident near Cleveland, OH
On December 30, 2016, a Cessna 525 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Cleveland, OH. 6 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 30, 2016
- Place
- Cleveland, OH
- Aircraft
- Cessna 525 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 6 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 41.555°N, 81.703°W
- NTSB ID
- 20161230X91745
Official records · CEN17FA072
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Transcript of Air Traffic Control Communications: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 29, 2016, at 2257 eastern standard time, a Cessna 525C (Citation CJ4) airplane, N614SB, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with Lake Erie shortly after takeoff from runway 24R (6,604 feet by 150 feet, asphalt) at the Burke Lakefront Airport (BKL), Cleveland, Ohio. The pilot and five passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Maverick Air LLC and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which was operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The intended destination was the Ohio State University Airport (OSU), Columbus, Ohio. The pilot and passengers departed OSU about 1730 and arrived at BKL about 1800. The pilot checked in at the fixed base operator (FBO) at 1812. The pilot and passengers attended a local sporting event before returning to the airport about 2230. A review of the air traffic control (ATC) communications transcript, the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript, automated dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) data, and full authority digital engine control (FADEC) unit data revealed the following: At 2255, the pilot was cleared for takeoff. He was instructed to turn right to a heading of 330° and maintain 2,000 feet mean sea level (msl) after departure. The pilot acknowledged the clearance. At 2256:33, the engine power increased for takeoff, and 15 seconds later the airplane became airborne. At 2257:09, an automated voice annunciated "altitude." A sec
Probable cause
Controlled flight into terrain due to pilot spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was pilot fatigue, mode confusion related to the status of the autopilot, and negative learning transfer due to flight guidance panel and attitude indicator differences from the pilot's previous flight experience.
More accidents in OH
- British Aerospace HS 125 700A, Nov 10, 2015
- Cessna 441, Jun 29, 2025
- Cessna U206C, Jun 8, 2008
- Cessna 205, May 9, 1999
- Aero Commander 685, Jul 20, 1983
Browse: Ohio · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
