Cessna (Textron Aviation) · Business jet
Cessna CitationJet (CJ1-CJ4, M2)
Is the Cessna CitationJet (CJ1-CJ4, M2) safe? It ranks Shared rankWithin 1 point of other aircraft types: the difference is not meaningful.More in the glossary of 18 private and business aircraft families we rate, with 10 fatal accidents counted in about 4.8 million flights since 2008.
Likely range 53 to 69
How the score is built
- Fatal accidents
- 10 in 4.8 million flights
2.1 fatal accidents per million flights. Counted: all civil flights (private, charter, corporate, cargo, training and other), accidents and unexplained losses; not counted: military, test and illegal flights, sabotage, hijackings, shoot-downs and deliberate crew acts.
- Full-loss equivalents
- 9.2
Each counted accident adds the share of people on board who died (1 = no survivors). This is what the score is based on.
- Flights flown
- 4.8 million
Estimated flights of all kinds. Flights of all kinds (private, charter, corporate, cargo, training and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026: OpenSky 2022 flights of the type under any call sign (US military aircraft left out), re-weighted to World Bank departures country by country, carried to other years by the type's flights counted each year by FAA traffic flow management (TFMSC). Flights before 2008 are not used, like the accidents. About 162 flights per aircraft per year (fleet with a median service life of about 36 years). Uncertainty roughly ±30%.
- Technology generation
- Modern business jet (type first flew from 1990)
Small fleets are pulled toward the record of the other types of their generation: 0.62 full-loss equivalents per million flights over 25.9 million flights. Weight of this family's own record: 93%.
- Likely range
- 53 to 69
The score is 90% likely to lie in this range, given how few accidents a type has and the error in the estimate of its flights.
- Last fatal accident
- 13 March 2025
LBL 525 CZ LLC, near Mesquite Metro Airport (KHQZ), Mesquite, TX, United States of America: 1 of 1 people on board died.
- Hull losses
- 39
Civil aircraft destroyed or written off from all causes, including non-fatal accidents, cargo flights and attacks; airframes flown by air forces on military operations are left out. ASN gives no fate for some damaged aircraft, so this can be a little low (context only, not in the score).
Compared with everyday risks
One flight on the Cessna CitationJet (CJ1-CJ4, M2) carries about the same risk of death as the activities near it below.
- An hour's walk1 in 14 million
- Driving 100 miles (160 km)1 in 5.9 million
- An ordinary day: accidents and violence1 in 1 million
- A day of skiing1 in 830,000
- One flight on the Cessna CitationJet (CJ1-CJ4, M2)This aircraft1 in 540,000
- A scuba dive1 in 500,000
- Cycling 100 miles (160 km)1 in 430,000
- Running a marathon1 in 290,000
- A skydive1 in 250,000
- A general anaesthetic1 in 100,000
- Riding a motorbike 100 miles (160 km)1 in 83,000
Accident history
10 fatal accidents since 2008 count toward the score, with 26 people on board killed.
| Date | Flight | Killed | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| LBL 525 CZ LLC525A Citation CJ2+ · near Mesquite Metro Airport (KHQZ), Mesquite, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Positioning from Mesquite to Addison to pick up passengers, the CJ2+ turned right after takeoff instead of the cleared left turn, climbed to about 500 ft above ground, then descended in the turn into woods. The pilot died. The investigation has not published a cause.Type: Unknown causeASN record | |
| Private525 CitationJet CJ1+ · Ubatuba Airport, SP (UBT/SDUB), Brazil | 1 killed / 5 on board | Landing in rain on Ubatuba's 940 m runway, part of which is closed for landing, the CJ1+ overran, crossed a road and broke up in flames on a beach. The pilot died; four on board survived and three people on the ground were hurt. The investigation has not published a cause.Type: Runway excursionASN record | |
| Servicios 5250084525 CitationJet · Porlamar-del Caribe Santiago Mariño International Airport (PMV), Venezuela | 2 killed / 2 on board | Shortly after takeoff from Porlamar the right engine failed and the crew came back to land on runway 27; the CitationJet ran off the runway into rocks and building material and caught fire. Both pilots later died of their burns. The investigation has not published a cause.Type: Runway excursionASN record | |
| Estoair LLC525A CitationJet CJ2+ · 4 km WSW of Memphis, IN, United States of America | 3 killed / 3 on board | Climbing out of Jeffersonville in cloud on autopilot, the CJ2+ rolled left, the autopilot disconnected and the pilot could not recover before it hit woods; all three died. The NTSB found the left wingtip load alleviation add-on deployed on its own; its maker disputed this.Type: System failureASN record | |
| ARG Ltda.525 Citation M2 · near Jequitaí-Fazenda Fortaleza de Santa Terezinha Airport, MG, Brazil | 4 killed / 4 on board | Landing at a farm airstrip near Jequitaí, the Citation M2 flew below the normal approach path and hit an irrigation pivot parked near the runway; a go-around failed and it crashed in brush, killing all four. The pilot had not asked the farm to move the pivot, as he usually did.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| private525 CitationJet · NW of Crozet, VA, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | After a few drinks, the pilot took off alone at night from Chesterfield without talking to ATC, flew in cloud below the minimum safe altitude and then dived into mountains near Crozet. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation and alcohol intoxication.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record | |
| Superior Beverage Group525C Citation CJ4 · 3 km N off Cleveland-Burke Lakefront Airport, OH (BKL), United States of America | 6 killed / 6 on board | On a dark night takeoff from Cleveland Burke Lakefront, the CJ4 climbed steeply over Lake Erie into cloud, then dived into the water; all six died. The NTSB found spatial disorientation, with fatigue, confusion over whether the autopilot was on and an unfamiliar cockpit layout.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| Private525 CitationJet · 1,9 km SW of Cedar Fort, UT, United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Climbing out of Salt Lake City in cloud, the pilot reported a flight management system problem; the CJ1 turned and climbed erratically, then dived and broke up in flight. Both on board died. The NTSB found spatial disorientation; the reported instrument fault could not be traced.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record | |
| CREX-MML LLC525A CitationJet CJ2 · Santa Monica Airport, CA (SMO), United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | After a normal-looking landing at Santa Monica, the CJ2 rolled long and fast, veered right off the runway and hit a hangar, which collapsed onto it before a fire; all four died. The NTSB could not tell why it did not slow down and cited the pilot's failure to slow and steer.Type: Runway excursionASN record | |
| Private525 CitationJet CJ1 · 9,5 km SSW of Augusta State Airport, ME (AUG), United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | The CJ1 sat on the ramp at Augusta in freezing rain; the pilot then taxied through an icy ditch and announced the wrong runway before a night takeoff. A minute later she reported an attitude indicator failure and lost control. The NTSB cited spatial disorientation.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record |
Listed but not counted
These events happened before 2008 (the score covers 2008 onward, the period its flight count covers), on military, test or illegal flights, or were caused by a crime or a deliberate act, which says little about the aircraft design.
| Date | Flight | Killed | Why not counted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancon Holdings525 CitationJet · Payson, UT, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Deliberate act by a crew member. Hours after being booked for domestic assault, the pilot took a CitationJet he flew for a construction company and crashed it at night into the yard of his own home in Payson, Utah; a woman and child inside were unhurt. The NTSB found he did this on purpose.Type: SecurityASN record | |
| SunQuest Executive Air Charter525 CitationJet · Los Angeles-Van Nuys Airport, CA (VNY), United States of America | 2 killed / 2 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. Taking off from Van Nuys to collect passengers, the CitationJet flew slowly with its front left baggage door standing open, then stalled and spun into a street. The NTSB cited the pilot's failure to hold airspeed and the other pilot's failure to secure the door before flight.Type: Loss of control in flightASN record | |
| Viação Cometa525 CitationJet · Alto da Boa Vista, RJ, Brazil | 2 killed / 2 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. Flying a visual coastal route at 1,500 ft after leaving Santos Dumont, the CitationJet hit a wooded slope of Morro da Taquara in Rio; both pilots died. Investigators cited the decision to keep flying visually in poor weather near mountains, weak planning and lax supervision.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| H. Enschmann SK686525A CitationJet CJ2 · Milano-Linate Airport (LIN), Italy | 4 killed / 4 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. Taxiing in thick fog at Milan Linate, the CitationJet took a wrong taxiway and crossed the active runway as an SAS MD-87 took off; all four on the Cessna died. Investigators also cited poor markings and signs, ATC procedures and no safety management system.Type: Runway collisionASN record | |
| Private525 CitationJet · near Buda, TX, United States of America | 1 killed / 1 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. Positioning to a private ranch airstrip in fog and low cloud, the pilot kept flying a visual approach and the CitationJet hit a tree about 4,000 ft short. The NTSB faulted the decision to continue visually in instrument conditions.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| College of the Ozarks525 CitationJet · 5,6 km W of Branson/Point Lookout-M Graham Clark Airport, MO (PLK), United States of America | 6 killed / 6 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. On a GPS approach to Point Lookout in low cloud and rain, the pilot descended below the minimum altitude and the CitationJet hit a wooded hill. The NTSB also cited pilot fatigue. All six on board died.Type: Flight into terrainASN record | |
| Alpha Wolf Enterprises LLC525 CitationJet · Marietta, GA, United States of America | 4 killed / 4 on board | Before 2008, outside the period the score covers. Climbing out of Peachtree, the CitationJet collided over Marietta with a Cessna 172 inspecting power lines; all four in the jet and the 172 pilot died. The NTSB found neither pilot saw the other, and the 172's transponder was not on as required.Type: Mid-air collisionASN record |
The CitationJet's fatal record is mostly a story of private flights in poor weather. From 2008, the period the score covers, to 3 November 2026 our data counts 10 fatal events, none of them a paid passenger charter, and the most common official finding is spatial disorientation in cloud or at night. With about 4.8 million flights since 2008, the family's own record carries most of the weight in the score; the class of modern business jets fills in the rest.
What is a CitationJet?
The family began with the CitationJet in 1991 and grew through the CJ1, CJ2, CJ3 and CJ4. The Citation M2, a CJ1+ development with newer avionics, followed in 2013. About 2,730 have been built and about 2,290 were seen flying in 2022. The ICAO code tells you the version: C525 for the CJ and CJ1, C25A for the CJ2, C25B for the CJ3, C25C for the CJ4 and C25M for the M2. A typical cabin has about six seats.
How is single-pilot owner flying different from charter?
The family is approved for one pilot, and many private owners use that. The pilot flies, talks to air traffic control, reads the weather and watches the autopilot, all alone. A second pilot adds a cross-check and can take over if the first becomes unwell. Charter companies often use two pilots for this reason, but you should ask, because the rules differ by country.
Our data lists 17 fatal events in the family's whole history up to 3 November 2026, and 10 count. Six happened before 2008 and do not count, because the score covers accidents and flights from 2008 on. Another, on 13 August 2018, was a pilot who flew into his own home on purpose, which the NTSB found; it is excluded as a deliberate act. Of the 10 counted events, 9 were private, corporate or other flights and 1 was a positioning flight. Four NTSB probable causes name spatial disorientation in cloud or at night: near Crozet on 15 April 2018 (1 dead), Cleveland on 29 December 2016 (6 dead), Cedar Fort on 18 January 2016 (2 dead) and Augusta on 1 February 2008 (2 dead). Before 2008, and so not counted, three more flew too low in cloud, fog or rain and hit trees or a wooded slope: near Buda in 2000, Branson in 1999 and Rio de Janeiro in 2005.
Other cases were different. On 26 November 2018 an M2 flown by ARG Ltda. hit an irrigation pivot near the strip at Jequitaí, Brazil, and all four died. On 30 November 2018 a CJ2+ operated by Estoair rolled in cloud near Memphis, Indiana, and all three died. The NTSB found that the add-on load alleviation surface on the left wing had deployed on one side only, for reasons it could not determine. Tamarack, which makes the system, disagreed with that finding. The most recent, on 13 March 2025, was a CJ2+ on a positioning flight near Mesquite, Texas. The pilot died and the investigation has not published a cause.
How much does the record tell us?
We estimate about 4.8 million flights since 2008, with an error of about 30%. With ten counted accidents, that is enough for medium confidence. The record is still short next to an airliner family, and the likely score range is still wide. The CitationJet shares its place with the Gulfstream IV and the Citation Mustang, and it scores only two points above the Citation V; the likely ranges overlap, so that gap is small and uncertain.
How do I check a charter operator and the aircraft?
- Ask for the air operator certificate (in the United States, Part 135) and check it with the aviation authority.
- Ask how many pilots will fly your trip. Two is safer than one.
- Ask for a third-party safety audit, such as the ARGUS or Wyvern ratings.
- Check the pilots' hours on the type and their training.
- If you fly with an owner, ask about instrument rating, recent hours and the plan for bad weather.
For a similar jet with a different crew pattern, compare the Citation Excel or the Phenom 300. Our methodology explains the counting.
Questions people ask
Is the Cessna CitationJet safe to fly in?
The record is short: 10 counted fatal events in about 4.8 million estimated flights from 2008, the period the score covers, to 3 November 2026. Nine were private, corporate or other flights and one was a positioning flight. The same facts hold for any small jet: the crew, the weather and the airport matter more than the model.
Can one pilot fly a CitationJet?
Yes. The CitationJet family is approved for one pilot, and many owners fly them alone or with a friend. The Airplane Flight Manual of each aircraft states the minimum crew. A pilot who flies alone has no second person to catch an error, so check whether your charter operator uses two pilots.
What is the difference between a CJ1, CJ2, CJ3 and CJ4?
They are successive stretches and upgrades of one design. The CJ2 and CJ3 have a longer cabin, the CJ4 a swept wing and more power, and the M2 is a CJ1 successor with newer avionics. ICAO codes are C525, C25A, C25B, C25C and C25M.
Has a CitationJet ever crashed on a charter flight?
No counted fatal event is coded as a passenger charter flight. One counted event was a positioning flight: the CJ2+ near Mesquite, Texas, on 13 March 2025, flying to pick up passengers. Three earlier positioning crashes, from 2000 to 2007, are before 2008 and do not count. Charter companies also fly them, so the operator still matters.
Sources
- 1.ASN record: Superior Beverage Group Cessna 525C CJ4, off Cleveland, 29 December 2016 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 2.ASN record: Estoair Cessna 525A CJ2+, near Memphis, Indiana, 30 November 2018 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 3.ASN record: ARG Ltda. Cessna 525 Citation M2, near Jequitaí, Brazil, 26 November 2018 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 4.ASN record: private Cessna 525 CitationJet, near Crozet, Virginia, 15 April 2018 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 5.ASN record: Vancon Holdings Cessna 525, Payson, Utah, 13 August 2018 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 6.ASN record: LBL 525 CZ LLC Cessna 525A CJ2+, near Mesquite, Texas, 13 March 2025 (opens in a new tab) · Aviation Safety Network
- 7.SafetyScorer exposure model: OpenSky Network flights 2022 (all operators), World Bank departures, FAA TFMSC (opens in a new tab)Flights of all kinds (private, charter, corporate, cargo, training and other civil use) 2008 to 3 November 2026: OpenSky 2022 flights of the type under any call sign (US military aircraft left out), re-weighted to World Bank departures country by country, carried to other years by the type's flights counted each year by FAA traffic flow management (TFMSC). Flights before 2008 are not used, like the accidents. About 162 flights per aircraft per year (fleet with a median service life of about 36 years). Uncertainty roughly ±30%.