Oxygen Deprivation: The Deadly Flight of Cessna 560

A pilot of a Cessna 560 likely became incapacitated due to oxygen deprivation during a June 2023 incident. This led to a military response before the plane crashed in Virginia, killing all four aboard. The crash followed unresolved maintenance issues concerning the plane's pressurization and environmental systems.

Devdiscourse News Desk | Washington DC | Updated: 14-05-2025 04:20 IST | Created: 14-05-2025 04:20 IST

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Country:
United States

An oxygen deprivation incident in June 2023 almost paralyzed the pilot of a Cessna 560, triggering a scramble by U.S. military F-16 jets to intercept it before it tragically crashed in the Virginia mountains, killing four, according to a report released Tuesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that the likely incapacitation occurred as the aircraft climbed to its cruising altitude, with the autopilot engaged as it inadvertently entered restricted airspace near Washington, D.C.

Scrutiny of maintenance records revealed ignored issues regarding the plane's pressurization and environmental control system, problems that the owner had previously decided not to fix, casting a shadow over the tragedy.

(With inputs from agencies.)