ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 525 CitationJet N77215 Los Angeles-Van Nuys Airport, CA (VNY)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Friday 12 January 2007
Time:11:07
Type:Silhouette image of generic C525 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Cessna 525 CitationJet
Operator:SunQuest Executive Air Charter
Registration: N77215
MSN: 525-0149
First flight: 1996
Total airframe hrs:3001
Engines: 2 Williams International FJ44-1A
Crew:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Los Angeles-Van Nuys Airport, CA (VNY) (   United States of America)
Phase: Initial climb (ICL)
Nature:Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:Los Angeles-Van Nuys Airport, CA (VNY/KVNY), United States of America
Destination airport:Long Beach Municipal Airport, CA (LGB/KLGB), United States of America
Narrative:
The CitationJet took off from Van Nuys (VNY) runway 34L to pick up two passengers at Long Beach (LGB). Witnesses near the end of the runway said that the front left baggage door was open, and standing straight up. The airplane was about 200 feet agl.
All of the witnesses stated that the airplane turned slightly left, leveled off, and was slow. It began descending, and the wings were slightly rocking. Several of the witnesses felt that the airplane stalled, and made a hard right turn. The wings were nearly vertical to the ground when the airplane hit the ground. The right wing tip hit the street; the left wing hit a light pole, and went through a set of power lines perpendicular to the flight path. The airplane continued through a wire fence with a cinder block wall behind it, and then through another cinderblock wall with a wire fence behind it.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during the initial climb resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing to the accident were the second pilots inadequate preflight, failure to properly secure the front baggage door, and the front left baggage door opening in flight, which likely distracted the first pilot"

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 4 months
Accident number: LAX07MA069
Download report: Summary report

Classification:
Distraction in cockpit
Cargo door failure
Loss of control

Sources:
» NTSB


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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Los Angeles-Van Nuys Airport, CA to Long Beach Municipal Airport, CA as the crow flies is 53 km (33 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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