Cessna 650 accident near Westplains, Colorado, June 14, 2025
On June 14, 2025 at about 1:30 am local time, a 1992 Cessna 650, registered N682RS, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Westplains, Colorado. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). The NTSB record does not give the injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper judgment to circumnavigate convective activity which resulted in extensive hail damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 14, 2025 · about 1:30 am local time
- Place
- Westplains, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- The NTSB record does not give the injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 650, built 1992 · all 650s on the register
- Registration
- N682RS · registry record · serial 650-7001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot, who was also a flight instructor, stated that the accident flight, with a commercial pilot in the right seat receiving flight instruction, was a personal flight with one passenger aboard. While en route to the destination airport, the pilot attempted to fly over a line of convective weather. While at flight level (FL) 410 and at 0.75 Mach, the airplane encountered “heavy” turbulence and hail. The pilot descended to FL 350 and slowed the airplane to 0.68 Mach, then flew about 495 nautical miles and landed at the planned destination airport, rather than performing an immediate landing at the nearest suitable airport. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, empennage, and windshield. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by having diverted about 80 to 100 miles north of the weather. The pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the airplane that that would have precluded normal airplane operation. About three months after the accident, the damaged airplane was discovered after an anonymous complaint was made of an unreported airplane accident. The airplane was located at the airplane owner’s hangar at the destination airport where it was undergoing repairs. The airplane make and model was not certified for single pilot operations and required two pilots. The commercial pilot did not hold a type rating for the airplane make and model nor met regulatory requirements to act as second-in-command for the flight.
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
- Other weather encounter during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane
- Flight time: 13,400 hours in all; 126 in this make and model; 206 in the last 90 days; 88 in the last 30 days; 7,100 as pilot in command; 3,660 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 17, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,172.8 hours in all; 7.8 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 865.9 as pilot in command; 817 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 4, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,029.2 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 1, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 23,000 lb
- Seats: 12
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Airesearch TFE 731-42-25 (turbojet); 9,015 hours total
- Engine 3: Airesearch TFE 731-42-25 (turbojet); 8,984 hours total
- Operator: Aircraft Resource Center, INC
The flight
- Departed from: LAS Las Vegas NV
- Destination: LVN Lakeville MN
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 250° at 19 knots, gusting 31
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,400 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from SNY, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSNY 140153Z AUTO 25019G31KT 9SM -TSRA FEW034 SCT046 19/12 A2995 RMK AO2 PK WND 26031/0153 LTG DSNT ALQDS RAB51 TSB24 SLP099 P0000 T01940117=
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN25LA349.