What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On March 13, 2025, about 0733 central daylight time, a Cessna 525A citation, N525CZ, crashed into a wooded area after an uncontrolled descent. privacy data omitted Departed runway 18 at the Mesquite (hqz) airport, TX, began a right turn and crashed approximately 0.5 miles southwest of the airport. Upon arrival at the scence Mesquite fire and police were activly securing the area and extinguishing the fire. The debris field spanned approximately 450 feet along an east to west direction. The ELT was heard upon arrival. The NTSB was dispatched to the scene to continue investigation.
The NTSB, FAA, tamarack, williams and Textron performed a general aircraft, engine and tamarack examination. The on-scene investigation and accident site documentation began March 13, 2023 and completed March 17, 2025.
Logbooks and maintenance document provided. All found to be current and accurate. Two pages of flight logs were found at the scene, the last entry was dated February 15, the aircraft time was recorded as 2,111 hours, the no. 1 and 2 engine time for both was recorded as 2,111 hours and 1,787 cycles.
The control lock handle was observed in the stowed position. The rudder was split above the lower hinge point when the vertical and horizontal stabilizer assembly impact separated from the fuselage. The lower portion of the rudder remained attached to the sector assembly. The upper portion of the rudder remained attached to the separated vertical stabilizer. The rudder trim tab actuator assembly was pulled in the structure but remained attached. The actuator extension was recorded.
The left elevator remained attached to the horizontal stabilizer, with the outboard portion partially separating due to impact damage with a tree it came to rest on. The left elevator trim tab was attached to the elevator, and the tab position was noted at approximately 6 degree tab teu. The right elevator inboard section remained attached to the horizontal stabilizer, with the outboard section observed further in the debris field. The right elevator trim tab was attached to the elevator, and the tab position was noted at approximately neutral position. The inboard half of the left aileron with the trim tab was attached to the aft spar structure. Pieces of both ailerons were observed throughout the debris field. The position of the aileron trim tab was recorded.
The wings were separated into multiple pieces. The fuel surge tanks were found separated from the wing structures. The smell of jet fuel was present onsite. Pieces of the fuel firewall shutoff valves were located in the debris field, but the position of the valves could not be determined due to damage. The left fuel filter bowl was observed attached to the accessory gearbox, but the element was not inspected on-scene. The right fuel filter was not located. The right engine fuel/oil heat exchanger was found separated from the engine. All three gear assemblies were separated from the aircraft and found in the stream.
The cockpit and cabin seats were separated from the fuselage and were located throughout the debris field. Only the left side of the instrument panel was found, and most of the remaining switches were damaged. The ahrs reversionary switch, and display reversionary switch were the only intact assemblies observed. The throttle quadrant and pedestal assembly were separated from the cockpit structure. The left throttle lever was separated from the quadrant and located further into the debris field. The right throttle lever and remainder of the left lever were near the full forward position.
The engine fadecs were shipped and downloaded at williams international facility in pontiac, Michigan. The CVR was recovered, shipped and downloaded, ntsb-no pertinent details discovered. Further examination of tamarack system components were shipped to NTSB.
Preliminary aircraft inspection report was submitted and filed which includes a detailed description of the event and findings. See: privacy data omitted
As the FAA filed it
ON MARCH 13, 2025, ABOUT 0733 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 525A CITATION, N525CZ, CRASHED INTO A WOODED AREA AFTER AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED RUNWAY 18 AT THE MESQUITE (HQZ) AIRPORT, TX, BEGAN A RIGHT TURN AND CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 0.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. UPON ARRIVAL AT THE SCENCE MESQUITE FIRE AND POLICE WERE ACTIVLY SECURING THE AREA AND EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE. THE DEBRIS FIELD SPANNED APPROXIMATELY 450 FEET ALONG AN EAST TO WEST DIRECTION. THE ELT WAS HEARD UPON ARRIVAL. THE NTSB WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE TO CONTINUE INVESTIGATION.
THE NTSB, FAA, TAMARACK, WILLIAMS AND TEXTRON PERFORMED A GENERAL AIRCRAFT, ENGINE AND TAMARACK EXAMINATION. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION AND ACCIDENT SITE DOCUMENTATION BEGAN MARCH 13, 2023 AND COMPLETED MARCH 17, 2025.
LOGBOOKS AND MAINTENANCE DOCUMENT PROVIDED. ALL FOUND TO BE CURRENT AND ACCURATE. TWO PAGES OF FLIGHT LOGS WERE FOUND AT THE SCENE, THE LAST ENTRY WAS DATED FEBRUARY 15, THE AIRCRAFT TIME WAS RECORDED AS 2,111 HOURS, THE NO. 1 AND 2 ENGINE TIME FOR BOTH WAS RECORDED AS 2,111 HOURS AND 1,787 CYCLES.
THE CONTROL LOCK HANDLE WAS OBSERVED IN THE STOWED POSITION. THE RUDDER WAS SPLIT ABOVE THE LOWER HINGE POINT WHEN THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER ASSEMBLY IMPACT SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE LOWER PORTION OF THE RUDDER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE SECTOR ASSEMBLY. THE UPPER PORTION OF THE RUDDER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE SEPARATED VERTICAL STABILIZER. THE RUDDER TRIM TAB ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY WAS PULLED IN THE STRUCTURE BUT REMAINED ATTACHED. THE ACTUATOR EXTENSION WAS RECORDED.
THE LEFT ELEVATOR REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, WITH THE OUTBOARD PORTION PARTIALLY SEPARATING DUE TO IMPACT DAMAGE WITH A TREE IT CAME TO REST ON. THE LEFT ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS ATTACHED TO THE ELEVATOR, AND THE TAB POSITION WAS NOTED AT APPROXIMATELY 6 DEGREE TAB TEU. THE RIGHT ELEVATOR INBOARD SECTION REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, WITH THE OUTBOARD SECTION OBSERVED FURTHER IN THE DEBRIS FIELD. THE RIGHT ELEVATOR TRIM TAB WAS ATTACHED TO THE ELEVATOR, AND THE TAB POSITION WAS NOTED AT APPROXIMATELY NEUTRAL POSITION. THE INBOARD HALF OF THE LEFT AILERON WITH THE TRIM TAB WAS ATTACHED TO THE AFT SPAR STRUCTURE. PIECES OF BOTH AILERONS WERE OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE DEBRIS FIELD. THE POSITION OF THE AILERON TRIM TAB WAS RECORDED.
THE WINGS WERE SEPARATED INTO MULTIPLE PIECES. THE FUEL SURGE TANKS WERE FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE WING STRUCTURES. THE SMELL OF JET FUEL WAS PRESENT ONSITE. PIECES OF THE FUEL FIREWALL SHUTOFF VALVES WERE LOCATED IN THE DEBRIS FIELD, BUT THE POSITION OF THE VALVES COULD NOT BE DETERMINED DUE TO DAMAGE. THE LEFT FUEL FILTER BOWL WAS OBSERVED ATTACHED TO THE ACCESSORY GEARBOX, BUT THE ELEMENT WAS NOT INSPECTED ON-SCENE. THE RIGHT FUEL FILTER WAS NOT LOCATED. THE RIGHT ENGINE FUEL/OIL HEAT EXCHANGER WAS FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE. ALL THREE GEAR ASSEMBLIES WERE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND IN THE STREAM.
THE COCKPIT AND CABIN SEATS WERE SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND WERE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE DEBRIS FIELD. ONLY THE LEFT SIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS FOUND, AND MOST OF THE REMAINING SWITCHES WERE DAMAGED. THE AHRS REVERSIONARY SWITCH, AND DISPLAY REVERSIONARY SWITCH WERE THE ONLY INTACT ASSEMBLIES OBSERVED. THE THROTTLE QUADRANT AND PEDESTAL ASSEMBLY WERE SEPARATED FROM THE COCKPIT STRUCTURE. THE LEFT THROTTLE LEVER WAS SEPARATED FROM THE QUADRANT AND LOCATED FURTHER INTO THE DEBRIS FIELD. THE RIGHT THROTTLE LEVER AND REMAINDER OF THE LEFT LEVER WERE NEAR THE FULL FORWARD POSITION.
THE ENGINE FADECS WERE SHIPPED AND DOWNLOADED AT WILLIAMS INTERNATIONAL FACILITY IN PONTIAC, MICHIGAN. THE CVR WAS RECOVERED, SHIPPED AND DOWNLOADED, NTSB-NO PERTINENT DETAILS DISCOVERED. FURTHER EXAMINATION OF TAMARACK SYSTEM COMPONENTS WERE SHIPPED TO NTSB.
PRELIMINARY AIRCRAFT INSPECTION REPORT WAS SUBMITTED AND FILED WHICH INCLUDES A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT AND FINDINGS.SEE: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.