4 Killed in Small Plane Crash in Calif.
CARLSBAD, Calif. Federal officials say four people were killed when a twin-engine plane skidded off an airport runway Tuesday and burst into flames.
The jet-engined Cessna 560 was landing at McClellan-Palomar Airport on a flight from Hailey, Idaho, when it skidded off the end of a runway at about 6:40 a.m., said Mike Fergus, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman in Seattle.
I noticed in the flight log that the plane’s speed increased on the last return. Living in the area, I have heard news reports from some local residents who have said that the plane seemed to be coming in pretty fast. Does anyone know if ~200 kts. is fast for a Cessna Citation?
This was a Citation V although I know the Citation II has a Vref around 100 (with flaps) depending on circumstances.
A typical approach speed for a Citation 560 is about 108 knots (link).
That’s fast for any corporate jet. Talking Vref, not climb, cruise, or descent.
With Santa Ana winds that day I figured he carried some speed for that… But also had heard the pax had a house in North County area so the pilot should have been familiar with the airport as well.
Somewhere today I saw a prelim on this crash and it referenced FlightAware as ‘reporting’ the high groundspeed prior to the crash…
The San Diego Union Tribune and then the Associated Press (followed by countless news organizations) have been citing FlightAware as a source on the aircraft’s groundspeed. Of course, the speed that we report is not the “touchdown speed” as it is being reported.
Then why doesn’t someone clarify it for these people that report it wrong? Not good for the people involved. Thanks
Because the newspapers and other media aren’t interested in getting their facts straight when it comes to aviation (and a lot of other stuff, for that metter).