NTSB releases photos of fractured CitationJet wingtip following Tampa incident

Almost exactly one year after an event in Tampa, Florida the NTSB has posted detailed documents and photos related to the March 30th, 2024 incident where a CitationJet safely landed with nearly 70 inches of wingtip missing.

The package from the NTSB includes a detailed Systems Factual Report which details extensive testing of the Tamarack equipment.

Testing and inspection revealed “no anomalies” and each unit passed functional testing, which builds on previous reports finding no anomalies in the Tamarack equipment. The NTSB will continue its investigation and eventually issue a Final Report. While the investigation is ongoing, now extending over a year, the NTSB hasn’t raised any safety concerns about the Tamarack upgrade.

The recent round of content released by the NTSB includes photos of the wingtip, clearly showing that the wing extension missing from the aircraft, just a few inches from the aileron.

Early photos show nearly 70 inches of wingtip missing.

“You can see that the NTSB is being very thorough, and we’re happy to see that,” said Tamarack President, Jacob Klinginsmith. “The fleet knows how robust this structure is - in fact it passed the static test back in 2014 with ample margin - it’s really over-built. Right now we have a great backlog of installations scheduled including a few more CJ3+ aircraft. We’ll continue to support the work of the NTSB on this matter, but business is good.”

Shortly after the initial inspection in Tampa, the owner ferried the aircraft from Tampa to Fort Lauderdale, with the entire wingtip missing. The move was supported by FAA and Tamarack because FAA certification included successfully flight testing a one winglet removed scenario simulating a bird-strike, ground damage, lightning strike, or any other abnormal, external event damaging the winglet, proving ample safety margin even in an unlikely emergency scenario. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service soon after the relocation flight.

The left wingtip was fully restored on this Citation CJ3, and returned to service shortly after the Tampa event.

The aircraft owner has three aircraft with the Tamarack upgrade which are used for a combination of air charter, business travel, and personal use. The owner was happy to have the aircraft restored, “It looks a lot better with two winglets!”

Tamarack currently has nearly 200 upgraded CitationJets and strong interest from the military, US Congress, and airline industry.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 4th April 2024 | Issue #742