Cessna 560 accident near Janesville, Wisconsin, June 27, 2019
On June 27, 2019 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 1990 Cessna 560, registered N318RW, suffered minor damage in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Janesville, Wisconsin. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The passenger’s decision to unbuckle her restraints during an in-flight turbulence event, resulting in serious injury.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 2019 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Janesville, Wisconsin · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 560 Undesignat, built 1990 · all 560s on the register
- Registration
- N318RW · registry record · serial 560-0051
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had anticipated some turbulence along the route of flight, briefed his three passengers, and turned on the seat belt sign. At flight level (FL) 240, the flight encountered turbulence, and the pilot requested clearance to deviate from air traffic control (ATC), which ATC provided. Using on-board weather radar, the pilot determined that he needed a greater deviation and made several urgent requests for a clearance to deviate. ATC was not able to approve the deviation but instructed the pilot to descend from FL 240 to FL 200. During the descent, the airplane encountered the first of four 15- to 20-second severe turbulence events, with a 5- to 10-second interval between events. During the events, the pilot made several urgent requests for a deviation, but ATC was not able to approve the requests. As far as the pilot was aware, all the passengers were in their seats with seat restraints on during the turbulent portion of the flight. One of the passengers was an elderly man, and one passenger was his caregiver. The caregiver reported that she had gotten out of her seat to assist the elderly man in adjusting his restraints more firmly. During the time she had gotten up to assist, she was thrown about the cabin during the turbulence. The pilot landed the airplane as soon as possible, and the caregiver was treated at a local hospital for bone fractures to her right arm.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Turbulence encounter during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Clear air turbulence › Contributed to outcome
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Passenger
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,663 hours in all; 1,292 in this make and model
- Last flight review: June 10, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,957.5 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 30, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 16,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney JTD15-5A (turbojet); 8,821 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney JTD15-5A (turbojet); 8,821 hours total
- Operator: Mueller Aero Inc
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV at 4:58 pm
- Destination: 91C Prairie Du Sac WI
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on November 30, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN19LA188 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Airplane Turbulance Inspection CEN19LA188 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Flight Training Record from Flight Safety International CEN19LA188 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.