Cessna Citation 560, N3RB / N561EJ: Fatal accident occurred January 09, 2021 in Warm Springs, Oregon

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Portland, Oregon

https://registry.faa.gov/N561EJ 

SX Transport LLC

https://registry.faa.gov/N3RB

 

Location: Warm Springs, OR

Accident Number: WPR21LA082

Date & Time: January 9, 2021, 13:36 Local 

Registration: N3RB

Aircraft: Cessna 560 Injuries: 1 Fatal

Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On January 9, at 1336 Pacific standard time (PST), a Cessna 560, N3RB, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Warm Springs, Oregon. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 flight.

The pilot had filed an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan to Boise Air Terminal/Gowen Field (BOI), Boise, Idaho. Security video footage from a local fixed base operator at the departure airport in Troutdale, Oregon, revealed that the pilot boarded the airplane and closed the cabin door at 1244. Preliminary FAA air traffic control audio data indicated that about 5 minutes later, he initiated radio contact with the Troutdale clearance controller, and requested to open his IFR clearance. The ground controller provided the clearance, the pilot read it back correctly, and about nine minutes later, the pilot stated that he was ready to taxi and that he had information Foxtrot. The controller stated that information Golf was current, and provided instructions to taxi to runway 07. The pilot replied, but only stated the altimeter setting, “3025”, and the ground controller asked him to respond with the full taxi instructions. The pilot responded, and about 1300 the airplane began to taxi to the runway hold short line.

The airplane arrived at the hold short line about 1304, and the ground controller asked if the pilot was ready for departure, to which he replied, “just a minute”. About two minutes later, a partial transmission of the pilot’s voice could be heard, and the local controller asked twice if it was N3RB. The pilot stated that it was him, and the controller issued a takeoff clearance. The pilot responded, and by 1307 the airplane had taken off. Shortly after departure, the controller requested that the pilot contact Portland Approach/Departure controllers, and he responded in the affirmative.

The pilot then contacted Portland Approach, and was provided instructions to ident and to climb and maintain 15,000 ft. The pilot responded with a partial response of, “up to 15”, following which the controller confirmed radar contact, and provided a heading change left to 310. The pilot did not respond, and airplane did not turn, and over the next minute, both the Portland Approach and Troutdale Tower controller made multiple attempts to contact the pilot. On the fifth attempt by the approach controller, the pilot responded and was provided the left heading. The airplane then began to turn left, and after one minute the controller issued a heading update to 180, and told the pilot to expect vectors for the TIMEE intersection after reaching 10,000 ft. The pilot did not respond until the controller issued the instruction a second time.

About one minute later, the airplane had reached 10,000 ft and was on a southbound track. The controller then issued a clearance direct to the TIMEE intersection. The pilot responded, and the airplane began to turn left, however its heading was about 15° left of what was required to reach the TIMEE intersection.

By 1315:30, the airplane had reached an altitude of 12,000 ft, and the controller asked the pilot to verify he was direct TIMEE. The pilot responded that he was, however, the airplanes track had not changed, and the airplane was now flying directly toward Mount Hood, about 27 miles east-southeast.

After the airplane had reached an altitude of 13,000 ft, the controller issued a right turn to 130, and the pilot responded with the correct readback, however the airplane turned left. The controller asked of the pilot was flying direct TIMEE, to which he replied, “I was”. The controller explained that the pilot was in fact flying on a northeast track, and provided another right heading change to 130. The pilot responded, and the airplane began a right turn, eventually rolling out on a 130 track, following which the controller issued a frequency change to Seattle Center. The pilot responded with the correct frequency but about one minute later, he called back with a confirmation of the Seattle center frequency.

By this time the airplane had reached an altitude of 14,000 ft, and after successfully making contact with Seattle Center, the Seattle controller immediately provided the pilot with a low altitude alert warning, stating that he was just above the minimum IFR altitude for that sector (by this time the airplane was flying just south of the peak of Mount Hood), and issued a clearance to FL 230.

The pilot responded, and the airplane continued to climb. The controller then asked the pilot if he was having problems with his radio, to which responded, “no, I think it’s cleared up now, radio loud and clear”. The controller then issued the pilot with a clearance direct to BOI. 

About 13:23, having reached an altitude of 19,000 ft the pilot was provided a new frequency for Seattle Center. He responded with an incorrect frequency, and was corrected by the controller. The pilot then successfully made contact with the new controller, who issued a clearance to flight level 370. The pilot responded, and the airplane continued to track in the general direction of BOI while continuing to climb.

At the 1327 the airplane had reached an altitude of 27,000 ft when it began to track to the right while continuing to climb. The controller alerted the pilot that he was about 30° right of course, but the pilot did not respond. The airplane continued to climb, until 1328:45, when it reached its highest altitude of 31,000 ft. The airplane began to descend, and remained for the next eight minutes in a spiraling and descending 1-mile radius right turn. The last ADS-B target was recorded at 1336:27, with the airplane on a northwest heading at an altitude of 3,800 ft.

The airplane struck the ground in the Mutton Mountain Range, at an elevation of 3,600 ft. Review of photos of the accident site revealed a 1,500 ft long debris field on an approximate heading of 330° magnetic. The entire airplane sustained heavy fragmentation and thermal damage. The cockpit voice recorder was recovered, and sent to the NTSB Recorders Division for data extraction, and the wreckage was recovered to an off-site facility for further examination.

The pilot held a private pilot certificate, and although he held type ratings for the Grumman G-111 Albatross and Learjet, FAA records did not indicate that he held a type rating for the Citation 560. He had taken Citation 560 training toward the end of 2020 at a training facility in Arizona, however the owner of the facility stated that the pilot had not performed to a level sufficient to be issued a type rating or single pilot exemption.

Review of historical flight data, and statements provided by acquaintances of the pilot, indicate that this was likely the first time he had flown the airplane on his own.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cessna

Registration: N3RB

Model/Series: 560 

Aircraft Category: Airplane

Amateur Built: No

Operator: 

Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC

Condition of Light: Day

Observation Facility, Elevation: DLS,247 ft msl

Observation Time: 13:53 Local

Distance from Accident Site: 41 Nautical Miles 

Temperature/Dew Point: 4°C /1°C

Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear 

Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 8 knots / , 70°

Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 10000 ft AGL

Visibility: 10 miles

Altimeter Setting: 30.4 inches Hg 

Type of Flight Plan Filed: IFR

Departure Point: Troutdale, OR (TTD)

Destination: Boise, ID (BOI)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 Fatal

Aircraft Damage: Destroyed

Passenger Injuries: 

Aircraft Fire: On-ground

Ground Injuries: 

Aircraft Explosion: None

Total Injuries: 1 Fatal

Latitude, Longitude: 44.996186,-121.13765

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov.

Rico at his second of three Fort Lauderdale, Florida, homes during Thanksgiving 2020.

Richard Boehlke

Richard W. "Rick" Boehlke

April 28, 1948 - January 9, 2021

Richard "Rick" Boehlke died January 9, 2021 in his private airplane.

Rick was born and raised in Portland, Ore. He graduated from John Marshall High School and attended Pacific Lutheran University where he completed his undergraduate degree and masters degree in Business. He was a visionary in the Senior Housing Industry. His accomplishments included; VP The Hillhaven Corporation, Exec VP Tenet Healthcare, Founder, Chairman & CEO Crossings Corporation, Co-founder Alterra Healthcare-Brookdale Senior Living and most recently Chairman, CEO Senexus Companies.

Rick's passion was flying.

Rick leaves behind his best friend, Rio; brother, sister, their spouses, niece, and nephews.

Cessna Citation 560, N561EJ: Incident occurred January 24, 2012 at Orange County Airport (KORG), Texas

ORANGE COUNTY - There are no injuries resulting from what investigators describe as a private jet crash in Orange County, according to information KFDM News has received from the Texas Department of Public Safety and Capt. Joe Mires with the Orange Fire Department.

The crash was reported at about 10 a.m. at the Orange County Airport.

The pilot, Claude Edward Collins, said the runway was wet, causing the Cessna 560 Citation to slide off the paved runway during landing at about 10 a.m., according to Trooper Stephanie Davis with the Texas Department of Public Safety.

A spokesman for Orange County says a wind gust pushed the plane off the runway, causing the nose gar to collapse.

The pilot wasn't hurt. The jet's front landing gear was damaged. The pilot had flown from Alabama to Orange County. 

The Orange Fire Department and law enforcement officers responded to the call.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified.

The Orange County Airport will be closed until further notice pending clearance from the FAA and NTSB for cleanup

The Orange County Emergency Management office has reported a jet aircraft carrying nine people, slid off runway at the Orange County Airport at approximately 10:03 a.m. today.

Reports indicate the jet came in for landing and a wind gust pushed the airplane off the runway, causing the nose gear to collapse.

The names of those on board the plane were not released and no injuries have been reported.

Officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety were on the scene to help assist. Sergeant Richard Howard with the DPS office said the FAA has been notified and the Orange County Airport will be closed until further notice pending clearance from the FAA and NTSB for cleanup.

The Texas Department of Public Safety says the accident happened around 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Orange County Airport near Orange, about 100 miles northeast of Houston.

Airport spokeswoman Jill Shores says wind gusts also helped pushed the aircraft from the runway on a morning when the area had rainstorms.

Trooper Stephanie Davis identified the pilot of the Cessna 560 as Claude Edward Collins.

DPS had no immediate details on where the flight originated in Alabama or the owner of the twin-engine jet, which suffered landing gear damage in the accident.

Airport spokeswoman Jill Shores says wind gusts also helped pushed the aircraft from the runway on a morning when the area had rainstorms.