Accident Cessna 750 Citation X N15TZ, Wednesday 7 September 2022
ASN logo
 

Date:Wednesday 7 September 2022
Time:14:53 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic C750 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Cessna 750 Citation X
Owner/operator:BVS, Inc
Registration: N15TZ
MSN: 750-0127
Total airframe hrs:2774 hours
Engine model:Rolls-Royce AS3007C
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, AZ (AZA) -   United States of America
Phase: Initial climb
Nature:Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:Tucson International Airport, AZ (TUS/KTUS)
Destination airport:Cedar Rapids Eastern Iowa Airport, IA (CID/KCID)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot and copilot departed on a repositioning flight in the twin-engine jet with a known hydraulic leak. The leak was identified before the flight, but the origin of the leak was unknown at the time. Shortly after departing, the landing gear would not retract. The pilots troubleshot the problem, attempted to retract the landing gear multiple times, and realized they had lost the hydraulic fluid in the system used for gear retraction. The flight diverted to an alternate airport; during the landing, the left landing gear tire blew out and the wheel and tire wore down to near the axle on one side of the wheel. The airplane came to rest near the runway and the right main landing gear collapsed.
A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the nose landing gear centering hydraulic flexible line was frayed and leaked near the upper fitting. This damage resulted in the complete depletion of the hydraulic System A fluid during the crew's multiple attempts to retract the gear during flight.
The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was downloaded and revealed that, after the landing gear was confirmed in the down position, the pilot reported that they had all the flaps possible extended since they were limited to 15° (per the airplane flight manual [AFM] “LANDING WITH NO ‘A' SYSTEM PRESSURE' checklist). A few minutes later the crew discussed the flaps again and referred to the flight manual before setting the flaps to the full down position, contrary to the checklist. For the airplane's reported weight at the time of the landing, the reference landing speed (Vref) specified by the checklist was between 137 and 138 knots; however, the Vref airspeed was exceeded by 17 knots, resulting in a fast landing to a runway with a downhill gradient that constituted an unstabilized approach. The fast landing and selection of a runway with a downhill gradient, both contrary to the referenced checklist, likely contributed to the blown main tires and the loss of control during the landing roll.

Probable Cause: The pilot's improper decision to depart on the accident flight with a known hydraulic leak, resulting in an in-flight hydraulic system failure, and the pilot's attempt to land during an unstabilized approach, which resulted in a loss of control during the landing roll.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: WPR22LA341
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 10 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB WPR22LA341

Location

Images:


Photo: FAA

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
20-Jul-2024 08:33 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
20-Jul-2024 09:09 ASN Updated [Operator, Narrative, Photo, ]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2025 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org