Cessna CITATION SII incident near Dallas, Texas, March 21, 1990
On March 21, 1990 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Cessna CITATION SII, registered N570RC, was involved in an incident near Dallas, Texas (Dallas Love Field). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT, WHICH RESULTED IN AN ELECTRICAL SHORT WHICH CAUSED SEPARATION OF AN ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 1990 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Dallas, Texas · Dallas Love Field · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna CITATION SII CITATION S
- Registration
- N570RC · no longer on the register · serial 0070
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A DESCENT THROUGH 14,000 FEET THE PILOT TURNED THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT ON. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TURNING ON THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT THE PILOT REPORTED UNCOMMANDED AIRPLANE EXCURSIONS. THE PIC ANALYZED THE PROBLEM AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT HIS DESTINATION. AN INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT HAD SHORTED OUT AND SEVERED THE ELEVATOR CONTROL CABLE. THIS WAS THE FIRST OPERATION OF THE AIR CONDITIONING UNIT SINCE INSTALLATION.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,510 hours in all; 1,450 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 6,243 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 15,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Rosewood Assets, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ADF Naples FL at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13L, 7,753 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:00 pm from DAL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.