A Cessna Citation business jet owned by United States Customs and Border Protection was destroyed earlier this month when it crashed into a deer while landing in South Carolina.
According to a preliminary NTSB accident report, the Cessna Citation II (N6763L) was completing a post-maintenance test flight on November 17 and had just touched down on Runway 9 at Greenwood County Airport when a deer ran out from the adjacent woods and onto the runway.
During the landing rollout, the plane’s left wing made contact with the deer just above the left main landing gear, causing a fuel tank in the wing to burst.
The two pilots — the plane’s only occupants — were able to bring the plane to a stop on the runway and escaped uninjured, but the plane burst into flames and was completely destroyed.
South Carolina-based Stevens Aviation operated the plane under contract with US Customs.
There was no word on the condition of the deer.
