Overweight Citation V with snow-contaminated wings failed to rotate before overrun

Probe into attempted take-off from Colorado airport finds neither pilot of executive jet held required qualifications.
US investigators have determined that a Cessna 560 Citation V executive jet was overweight and attempting to take off with snow-contaminated wings when it overran at a Colorado airport.

The aircraft failed to respond to the pilot’s full-aft control yoke input as it reached rotation speed of 103kt during the take-off roll from runway 1 at Pagosa Springs.

Although the pilot aborted the take-off at 120kt and applied full reverse-thrust and braking, the jet overran by some 500ft into the grass beyond, sliding sideways and sustaining substantial damage to both wings.

The inquiry has found that, while the pilot held a type rating for the aircraft, she was not qualified to act as a single pilot in the jet, and the jet was not certified for single-pilot operation.

But the co-pilot – with whom the pilot had never previously flown – had no type ratings.

“Neither pilot possessed the proper pilot ratings and qualifications for the flight,” says the National Transportation Safety Board.

Its analysis of the accident, which occurred on 27 December 2024, found the aircraft probably weighed around 16,500lb (7,480kg) on take-off.

However, the pilot reported a take-off weight of about 15,700lb, just under the maximum of 15,900lb.

Ten occupants – five male, four female and a child – plus three dogs and baggage were on board the jet.

The pilot testified that she had used standard passenger weights in a flight application to calculate the load, while the weight of baggage was estimated.

Analysis indicates a payload of 2,154lb compared with the pilot’s calculation of just 1,285lb.

The inquiry adds that the centre of gravity was “near the forward limit” and that the aircraft was “likely outside of the operating envelope”.

Investigators also highlighted a “poor pre-flight inspection”, given that snow was falling at the time passengers were boarding the jet.

There was no de-icing facility and ground personnel used a handheld brush to sweep snow from the wings.

“According to the pilot, she only noticed liquid water and no icing or other contamination on the airplane during the pre-flight inspection,” says the inquiry.

“The co-pilot reported that the airplane had some accumulated dry snow on the wings that was swept off, and, after all the passengers were loaded, the pilot conducted a tactile check of the wings before closing the cabin door.”

Surveillance video captured airport personnel sweeping snow from the wings three separate times in 11min.

“There was no video evidence of the pilot performing a tactile check of the right wing, which was the only wing visible in the video, after the final snow removal from the wings,” the inquiry adds.

Wing contamination “was visible” as the aircraft taxied and the snowfall rate “appeared to increase”.

The aircraft waited near the runway for about 15-17min before commencing its take-off roll, which meant some 20min had passed since the final brushing of snow from the wings.

Investigators believe the overweight condition and contaminated wings “negatively affected” the take-off performance, resulting in its failure to rotate, and the wet surface of the 8,100ft runway probably increased the jet’s stopping distance.

None of the passengers, crew members, or dogs was injured.

No cockpit-voice recorder information was available. The inquiry found none of the audio it recorded was relevant to the investigation, consistent with the recorder’s having been non-functioning or overwritten.

Texas-based Metroplex Flight Services managed the aircraft. According to the company the jet (N753MB) was being operated by one of the passengers under a dry-lease agreement, through which the lessee is responsible for selection and hiring of qualified crew. The leasing passenger, however, told the inquiry that the company handled arranging pilots, maintenance, hangars and billing.

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