A pilot has been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, after crash landing his Cessna Citation 550 in Nevada, United States.
The man, named as 41-year-old Ryan Dashiell of Spokane, Washington, managed to evade serious injury after crashing the aircraft at Nevada’s Mesquite Airport.
Mr Dashiell, who was the sole occupant of the aircraft, was arrested upon landing on one count of driving whilst intoxicated and subsequently taken to hospital for a check-up, before being moved to Clark County Detention Center.
An FAA spokesperson said the exact circumstances of the crash are currently unknown, but that the aircraft, which set off from Pasco, Washington, had been due to fly to Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas, about 80 miles from Mesquite.
FAA registration records show Dashiell held an Airline transport pilot certificate with both airplane and helicopter privileges, was certified to fly in several types, and was required to wear corrective lenses as part of his certification.
The twinjet 1981 aircraft (N320JT) was registered to Avia Jet LLC of Happy Valley, Oregon and was destroyed in a fire following the crash.
The National Transportation Safety Board is to investigate the incident, with Dashiell facing a gross misdemeanor charge.