Story ID: 
NTSB Investigating Citation Takeoff Crash 
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: More details have emerged about the November 5 fatal crash of Citation N505K following a loss of control on takeoff at Hobby Airport in Houston.
Word Count: 158
More details have emerged about the November 5 fatal crash of Citation N505K following a loss of control on takeoff at Hobby Airport in Houston. The 55-year-old owner-pilot and his 37-year-old maintenance technician were killed in the accident. An NTSB preliminary report quotes eyewitness accounts saying the twinjet climbed no more than 300 feet before it “appeared to have stalled, rolled hard to the right, become inverted and crashed.” According to the Safety Board, the airplane initially hit the centerline of Runway 13R and “exploded into flames. After sliding 520 feet, the airplane came to rest inverted.” The FAA reported that the maintenance technician “had been working on the airplane,” though the nature of that work wasn’t disclosed by the NTSB. Officials are also investigating reports that ATC asked the Citation’s pilot to expedite the takeoff due to an airliner returning to the airport after declaring a problem. The 1972 Citation was not equipped with a CVR or FDR.