At 10:15 a.m. on December 18, 2025, a Cessna 550 Citation II, registered as N257BW, crashed eight minutes after takeoff from runway 10 at Statesville Regional Airport, identified as KSVH. The flight was planned to fly to the Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport in Florida. The pilot decided to return to KSVH shortly after takeoff, lining up to land in the opposite direction on runway 28, which is 7000 feet long. The aircraft hit the ground on Lakewood Golf Course well before the airport and skidded across a road, through the perimeter fence, and onto airport property as it burst into flames taking the lives of the 7 people on board. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the deceased.
The weather conditions at the time were overcast, with light drizzle and 5 miles of visibility; at ground level, visibility was more than 1 mile. Winds were light.
Apparently, the last flight of N257BW was on November 14, 2025, when it had flown to Sarasota and back.
At 10:06 am, the plane departed from Statesville Airport on runway 10. The plane traveled around 10 miles (16 km) before turning sharply to the left back towards the airport, and did not exceed an altitude of 2,000 feet (610 m) above ground level.
The NTSB confirms that the aircraft’s first point of impact was a runway light stanchion about 1800 feet from the runway. The plane crashed at the east side of the runway while attempting to land.
A mechanical or other emergency (possibly medical) is likely why they turned around to return to KSVH for landing. This is supported by the flight path, which reflects an effort to get the plane on the ground ASAP. Absent an emergency, since they were on an IFR flight plan, they could have climbed to a higher altitude and then requested a clearance to fly one of the numerous approaches to into KSVH or another nearby airport. Moreover, as they took off on Runway 10 they would have likely returned to that runway for landing if there was no emergency. Instead, they flew past it and decided to land on Runway 28 in the opposite direction.
There were three certificated pilots on the aircraft, but not all had type certificates for the Citation that allowed them to act as Pilot in Command. Unfortunately, the accident aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder. These recording devices, which are required on airliners, are typically central to the NTSB’s investigation of any accident when the aircraft are so equipped. Fortunately, the aircraft was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder, which the NTSB has reportedly recovered. This should provide critical information as to the reason for the rejected departure and return to the field. In addition, the NTSB will try to determine what mechanical failure may have occurred; however, this task will be complicated by the impact and fire damage post-crash.
A preliminary NTSB report is anticipated within 30 days, while the full investigation typically takes 18 to 24 months.
Attorneys at Aviation Law Group have extensive experience with Cessna Citations. As a pilot years ago, Robert Hedrick flew Cessna Citations as second in command on both air ambulance and charter flights. Attorney Kerry Kovarik was a crew chief at the Sacramento Citation Service Center, one of the Cessna Aircraft Company’s network of maintenance facilities. Kerry completed the factory training program on the 500 series Citations and worked on the full range of Citation business jets in his career as an aircraft mechanic. Our attorneys carefully monitor investigations such as this one and stand ready to assist families affected by aviation tragedies.
As the investigation continues, additional facts will emerge that help explain what led to this heartbreaking loss.