Cessna 500 Citation crash, Jan 21, 1981 (5 killed), Bluef...
Cessna 500 Citation accident on January 21, 1981 near Bluefield-Mercer County, West Virginia, United States with 5 fatalities. Cause: Landing on a...
- Date: January 21, 1981
- Aircraft: Cessna 500 Citation
- Location: Bluefield-Mercer County, West Virginia, United States
- Fatalities: 5
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: Landing on a slush covered runway with insufficient stopping distance, followed by a delayed go-around initiation. Contributing factor: the manufacturer's flight manual gave inadequate emphasis to landing and stopping distances on wet and icy runways.
A Cessna 500 Citation I operated by Georgia Pacific Corporation overran runway 23 at Mercer County Airport, Bluefield, West Virginia, after an ILS approach. The aircraft touched down on a snow and slush covered runway, did not decelerate normally, and was unable to become airborne during a late attempted go-around. It struck localizer antennas and an embankment, plunged down a wooded hillside and burned. All five occupants were killed.