ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 550 Citation II N6887Y Billings-Logan International Airport, MT (BIL)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Friday 18 December 1992
Time:16:45
Type:Silhouette image of generic C550 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Cessna 550 Citation II
Operator:United States Department of Energy
Registration: N6887Y
MSN: 550-0293
First flight: 1981
Total airframe hrs:5275
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-4
Crew:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
Total:Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:1,6 km (1 mls) E of Billings-Logan International Airport, MT (BIL) (   United States of America)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Executive
Departure airport:Watertown Airport, SD (ATY/KATY), United States of America
Destination airport:Billings-Logan International Airport, MT (BIL/KBIL), United States of America
Narrative:
Rolled rapidly to the inverted position and descend almost vertically into the ground while on approach to Billings' runway 27R. Upset caused by wake turbulence from a preceding Boeing 757. Horizontal separation was decreasing below 2.6 miles.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The pilot-in-command's failure to follow established vortex avoidance procedures, as published in the airman's information manual, to provide his own wake turbulence separation."

Accident investigation:

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Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 years
Accident number: SEA93GA041
Download report: Summary report

Classification:
Weather: Wake vortex encounter
Loss of control

Sources:
» NTSB


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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Watertown Airport, SD to Billings-Logan International Airport, MT as the crow flies is 888 km (555 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Citation II

  • 603 built
  • 8th loss
  • 6th fatal accident
  • The worst accident (at the time)
  • 2nd worst accident (currently)
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