Date:	Thursday 13 March 2025
Time:	07:33
Type:	Cessna 525A Citation CJ2+
Owner/operator:	LBL 525 CZ LLC
Registration:	N525CZ
MSN:	525A0380
Year of manufacture:	2007
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	near Mesquite Metro Airport (KHQZ), Mesquite, TX -   United States of America
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Mesquite Metro Airport, TX (KHQZ)
Destination airport:	Dallas-Addison Airport, TX (ADS/KADS)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
On March 13, 2025, about 0733 central daylight time, a Cessna 525A airplane, N525CZ, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Mesquite, Texas. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a positioning flight.

According to the airplane’s owner/operator, the pilot intended to depart the Mesquite Metro Airport (KHQZ), Mesquite, Texas, and was en route to Addison Airport (KADS), Dallas, Texas, to pick up passengers, and continue on to an undetermined destination. The fixed based operator manager at KHQZ stated that the pilot requested a fuel top off before departure, and the airplane was fueled with 224 gallons of Jet-A fuel.

The KHQZ tower controller stated that the airplane was cleared to KADS via a left downwind departure which would have involved a left climbing turn on departure.

ADS-B flight track data showed that after the airplane departed to the south from runway 18, at 0733:21, it entered a right turn and climbed to about 950 ft mean sea level, or about 500 ft above ground level. At 0733:45, the airplane began a descent while still in a right turn and impacted terrain. A postimpact fire ensued. The last recorded point was at 0733:52, with an estimated flight time of 31 seconds.

The pilot was in radio communications with the tower controller at KHQZ, and no distress calls were received from the pilot.

Witnesses reported they saw the airplane in a descending, right bank turn. There were no reports of fire or smoke trailing the airplane.

The airplane impacted a heavily wooded area with several winding creeks to the southsouthwest of KHQZ. The airplane was fragmented, and the debris path was about 450 ft in length, oriented on a magnetic heading of 270°. A postimpact fire consumed portions of the airplane. All major components were located in the debris path.

The airplane was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR). The CVR was recovered from the empennage section of the airplane and was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board Vehicle Recorders Laboratory, Washington, DC, for processing and readout. In addition, the airplane’s engines were equipped with Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) modules which were located and shipped to the manufacture’s facility for data download.

The wreckage was recovered from the accident site and transported to a secure location for further examination.

According to information on file with the Federal Aviation Administration, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, airplane multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. He had several type ratings including one for single pilot operations of a Cessna 525, issued on December 16, 2018. On his most recent application for medical certificate, dated December 8, 2023, the pilot reported he had flown about 6,800 total hours, and listed his occupation as a self-employed pilot.

https://www.fox4news.com/news/small-plane-crashes-near-mesquite-airport
https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/small-plane-crash-fatal-mesquite/
https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/mesquite-plane-crash/3791401/

NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=525CZ
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?icao=a69bcb&lat=32.732&lon=-96.521&zoom=14.9&showTrace=2025-03-13&trackLabels
https://www.flightradar24.com/2025-03-13/12:34/2x/N525CZ/39760647

https://cdn.jetphotos.com/full/6/24545_1656859355.jpg (photo)

Ex N5192U, JA021R, N5192U, N5168Y

NTSB is investigating the crash of a Cessna 525 airplane in Mesquite, Texas.

— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) March 13, 2025

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
13-Mar-2025 14:41	gerard57	Added
13-Mar-2025 15:07	gerard57	Updated [Aircraft type, Departure airport, Narrative, ]
13-Mar-2025 15:16	aus	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
13-Mar-2025 15:19	ASN	Updated [Time, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Source, ]
13-Mar-2025 15:21	ASN	Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Category, ]
13-Mar-2025 16:40	RobertMB	Updated [Time, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]
13-Mar-2025 17:24	Captain Adam	Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative, ]
08-Apr-2025 19:01	Captain Adam	Updated [Time, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ]