Hail-damaged Citation repaired at Jet Aviation Saarbrucken

Jet Aviation Saarbrucken, Germany, recently performed extensive repairs on a Citation II that was heavily damaged by hail in just 15 seconds. The aircraft was on approach to Amsterdam Airport at an altitude of 10,000 feet when it encountered a hail storm. The aircraft, which was traveling at 250 knots, encountered hail stones “the size of tennis balls.”

According to Markus Lehmann, station manager for Jet Aviation Saarbrucken, “The hail damaged major parts of the aircraft beyond repair, including the leading edges of both wings and the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. The radome was completely smashed and the wingtips, antennas and pitot tube were heavily damaged. Upon closer inspection, the avionics systems revealed massive Kevlar frazzles.”

Jet Aviation’s AOG team first prepared the aircraft for a ferry flight by installing a new radome and avionics and temporarily repairing the airfoil sections. After receiving the proper permits, the aircraft was ferried to Jet Aviation’s Saarbrucken facility.

Jet Aviation maintenance technicians replaced the wing leading edges and tips, the horizontal and vertical stabilizers and engine air intakes. New doors were installed in the baggage compartment, and major parts of the upper nose section were reskinned. A complete cabin refurbishment and new exterior paint topped off the project.

“The project involved extensive engineering, which was performed in close cooperation with Cessna. The entire repair process took close to six months and involved more than 3,000 man hours,” Lehmann said.