History of Flight
On December 29, 2016, at 2257 eastern standard time, a Cessna 525C (Citation CJ4) airplane, N614SB, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with Lake Erie shortly after takeoff from runway 24R at Burke Lakefront Airport (BKL), Cleveland, Ohio. The pilot and five passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Maverick Air LLC and operated by the pilot under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was operated on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan with intended destination of Ohio State University Airport (OSU), Columbus, Ohio.
The pilot and passengers departed OSU about 1730 and arrived at BKL about 1800. The pilot checked in at the fixed base operator at 1812. They attended a local sporting event before returning to the airport about 2230.
Air traffic control communications, cockpit voice recorder, ADS-B, and FADEC data revealed the following sequence: At 2255, the pilot was cleared for takeoff and instructed to turn right to heading 330° and maintain 2,000 feet msl. The pilot acknowledged. At 2256:33, engine power increased for takeoff, and 15 seconds later the airplane became airborne. At 2257:09, an automated voice annunciated "altitude," repeated 14 seconds later. At 2257:25, a sound similar to a decrease in engine power was recorded. Two seconds later, the EGPWS provided an excessive bank angle warning. At 2257:29, the tower controller instructed the pilot to contact departure control; the pilot replied, "to departure six one four sierra bravo," but the transmission was not received by the tower. At 2257:37, the controller again attempted contact. Two seconds later, the EGPWS provided a "sink rate" warning. The pilot responded again but was not received. From 2257:43, the EGPWS provided seven "pull up" warnings at 1.6-second intervals until the end of the CVR recording, along with an overspeed warning. The CVR ended at 2257:58. The controller's continued attempts were unsuccessful, and search and rescue procedures were initiated.
Personnel Information
The pilot's Cessna 525 single-pilot type rating was added on December 8, 2016, after passing the FAA practical test. His initial training was completed in the accident airplane. He completed a simulator-based recurrent training course at FlightSafety International on December 17, 2016. He had accumulated 56.5 hours in Cessna 525 airplanes, with 8.7 hours as pilot-in-command including the practical test. His most recent logged flight was on December 17 from Orlando International to OSU. He previously owned a Cessna 510 for about 2 years, logging 372.9 hours total time in that type. His instructor confirmed the pilot was trained to consistently use the autopilot after takeoff. The pilot had been awake for nearly 17 hours at the time of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was issued a standard airworthiness certificate in January 2012, exported to Brazil, then imported to the U.S. and purchased by the owner in October 2016, at which time a new standard airworthiness certificate was issued. The most recent inspection was completed on October 3, 2016, at 812.7 hours airframe total time. Additional maintenance was completed on October 14, 2016, at 814.1 hours, and the most recent maintenance occurred on December 17, 2016, at 860.7 hours.
Meteorological Information
Observations from BKL and Cleveland Hopkins International indicated marginal visual conditions at the time of the accident. Precipitation was reported in one-minute observations at BKL until 2251, with no precipitation reported at the surface until 2342. Surface temperature remained above freezing after landing and at accident time, but dew point remained below freezing, with precipitation occurring intermittently in snow shower activity.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was in Lake Erie about 2 miles northwest of BKL, at a depth of about 40 feet. Search and recovery were hampered by weather and lake conditions. Debris, including the cockpit voice recorder, was located beginning January 5, with recovery operations over the following two weeks. A postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies consistent with a preimpact failure or malfunction.
Additional Information
The flight guidance panel (FGP) allows selection of manual or autopilot guidance. The autopilot button is on the upper row near the right side; engagement is indicated on the primary flight display (PFD) but not on the button itself. In contrast, the pilot's previous aircraft (Cessna 510) had the autopilot button in a slightly different location and an indicator light when engaged. The PFD in the Cessna 525 uses an ego-centric ("inside out") display with a fixed aircraft symbol and moving horizon, while the Cessna 510 uses an exo-centric ("outside in") display with a fixed horizon and moving aircraft symbol.
The FAA defines spatial disorientation as a loss of proper bearings or mental confusion as to position relative to the earth. Contributing factors include changes in acceleration, flight in IMC, frequent transfers between VMC and IMC, and unperceived attitude changes. The Airplane Flying Handbook notes that the vestibular sense can confuse pilots, generating false sensations and leading to spatial disorientation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy and toxicology testing were not performed due to limited remains recovered.