Aviation Investigation Preliminary Report

Location: Montebello, VA Accident Number: ERA23FA256

Date & Time: June 4, 2023, 15:23 Local Registration: N611VG

Aircraft: Cessna 560 Injuries: 4 Fatal

Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On June 4, 2023, about 1523 eastern daylight time, a Cessna Citation 560 airplane, N611VG,
was destroyed when it impacted terrain near Montebello, Virginia. The airline transport pilot
and three passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated by Encore Motors of
Melbourne Inc. as a personal flight conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 91.
According to individuals familiar with the airplane’s flight activity the day of the accident and
flight track records, the pilot’s first flight of the day originated from the airplane’s home airport
of Melbourne International Airport (MLB), Melbourne, Florida, at 1059. The pilot conducted the
flight as a single pilot and subsequently landed at Elizabethton Municipal Airport (0A9),
Elizabethton, Tennessee, at 1231, where 300 gallons of fuel was added to the airplane and the
three passengers were picked up. The accident flight departed at 1313 destined for Long
Island Mac Arthur Airport (ISP), New York, New York.
Review of preliminary Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control audio recordings
revealed that the pilot contacted the Atlanta Air Route Traffic Control Center shortly after
takeoff, and reported climbing through 9,300 ft mean sea level (msl) to 10,000 ft. The
controller subsequently cleared the flight to flight level 230 (23,000 ft) and the pilot read back
the clearance. At 1322, the pilot was handed off to another controller with Atlanta Center. The
pilot subsequently contacted the controller, advising that the airplane was maintaining flight
level 230 (23,000 ft). The controller cleared the flight to flight level 290 (29,000 ft) and the pilot
read back the clearance. At 1325, the controller cleared the airplane to flight level 340 (34,000
ft) and the pilot readback the clearance. At this time the airplane was about 28,000 ft.
At 1328, the controller amended the prior altitude clearance, instructing the pilot to stop the
climb at 33,000 ft for crossing air traffic. The pilot did not respond to the amended clearance,
the airplane continued the climb to 34,000 ft and leveled off. No further radio transmissions

Page 1 of 4 ERA23FA256
This information is preliminary and subject to change.
from the pilot were received for the remainder of the flight, despite repeated attempts to
contact the pilot.
Review of preliminary Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) data found that
the airplane’s flight track to the destination airport was consistent with the filed flight plan
route. The airplane arrived overhead of ISP at 1432, maintaining 34,000 ft throughout the flight.
The airplane subsequently continued flying southwest on a ground track of about 240°. The
track showed little deviation or altitude change until 1522, where the airplane entered a rapidly
descending right spiral descent into terrain.
According to a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) statement, about
1520 the airplane was intercepted by fighter aircraft. The pilot was unresponsive to several
radio transmissions, intercept flight maneuvers, and flare deployments. The figure below
depicts the ADS-B flight track, the filed flight plan waypoints, and select time/altitude labels.

NTSB Figure: Overview of the ADS-B flight track, flight plan waypoints, and select time/altitude labels.

The airplane impacted mountainous and forested terrain a short distance from where the
spiraling descent was observed. The signatures observed during an examination of the terrain,
trees, and wreckage found at the accident site all were consistent with a high velocity, near
vertical descent. The wreckage was extremely fragmented, scattered around a main crater,
and evidence of a post-impact fire was observed. Fragments of both wings, fuselage,
empennage, in addition to both engines, were located in the debris field. Flight control
continuity could not be established due to the fragmentation of the wreckage. The cockpit was

Page 2 of 4 ERA23FA256
This information is preliminary and subject to change.
destroyed in the impact. The wreckage was recovered from the accident site and retained for
further examination.
According to recent maintenance inspection records, the airplane as of May 2023 was
equipped with a cockpit voice recorder (CVR), however, at the time of this publication, a CVR
had not been located. The airplane was not equipped with a flight data recorder, nor was it
required to be.
According to FAA airman records, the pilot held an airline transport pilot certificate with ratings
for airplane single-engine land and sea, in addition to airplane multi-engine land. He possessed
type ratings in the CE-500 (appropriate for the accident airplane make and model), CE-650, CE-
680, B-737, BA-3100, EMB-110, and N-B25. He was issued a first-class medical certificate on
October 10, 2022. The pilot reported on a pilot history insurance form on May 3, 2023, that he
possessed 34,500 total hours, of which 850 hours were logged in the CE-500 series. He
reported a total of 110 hours in the CE-500 in the last 12 months, dated from May 2023.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Model/Series: 560 Citation V Aircraft Category: Airplane

Amateur Built:
Operator: Operating Certificate(s) None
Held:
Operator Designator Code:
Meteorological Information and Flight Plan
Conditions at Accident Site: VMC Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: CHO,631 ft msl Observation Time: 15:53 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 33 Nautical Miles Temperature/Dew Point: 21°C /12°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 6 knots / , 50°
Lowest Ceiling: Broken / 2900 ft AGL Visibility: 10 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.01 inches Hg Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR
Departure Point: Elizabethton, TN (0A9) Destination: Ronkonkoma, NY (ISP)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Page 3 of 4 ERA23FA256
This information is preliminary and subject to change.
 Administrative Information
Investigator In Charge (IIC): Gerhardt, Adam
Additional Participating Persons: Mitch A. Mitchell; Federal Aviation Administration ; Washington, DC
Helen Tsai; Transportation Safety Board of Canada; Gatineau , OF
Ricardo J. Asensio; Textron Aviation; Wichita, KS
Kurt Gibson; Textron Aviation; Wichita, KS
David Studtmann; Honeywell Aerospace; Phoenix, AZ
Randolph W. Rushworth; Department of the United States Air Force; Washington, DC
Note:

Page 4 of 4 ERA23FA256
This information is preliminary and subject to change.