What happened
On August 14, 2025, at approximately 1715 EDT, a Cessna 560XL, registration N802TD, was involved in an accident near Oakland Park, Florida. The aircraft was operating as a Part 91 business flight. The flight crew had arrived at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE) earlier that morning with plans to fly to Orlando Executive Airport (ORL).
During pre-flight activities, the crew assisted paint shop personnel with various operational checks, including engine runs and cycling the flaps. During this process, the pilot noted that the control column's forward position seemed closer than expected compared to other aircraft of the same model, though no binding or limitations were observed at that time.
After receiving takeoff clearance, the pilot taxied onto the runway and handed control to the commercial pilot. The takeoff roll proceeded normally; however, immediately after the landing gear was retracted, the aircraft entered an unusually high pitch attitude. The pilot assumed command and applied full forward pressure, but the crew was unable to lower the nose. The aircraft performed an uncommanded climb to 9,500 feet, significantly exceeding the assigned altitude of 2,000 feet MSL. The crew was unable to see the runway due to the steep climb and remained focused on applying forward pressure to prevent a stall.
During the subsequent flight, the crew experienced a series of radical pitch-up events into stalls, followed by uncommanded steep pitch-down events. The aircraft proceeded toward Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport. While attempting an approach to runway 10L, the pilot performed a 360-degree turn to reduce airspeed. Despite deploying speed brakes and idling the throttles, the aircraft remained 30 knots above normal approach speed. As the aircraft entered ground effect, it pitched up again uncommanded. The pilot corrected the pitch and landed on the final quarter of the runway, bringing the aircraft to a stop. There were no injuries to the two pilots.
The investigation
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed that an elevator pushrod was bent, showing evidence of contact with an adjacent structural member.