Cessna Citation I (500/501)

The original Citation, the aeroplane that made private jets ordinary: a straight-wing, twin-turbofan business jet deliberately built slow (350 knots) so that it lands slowly and uses runways faster jets cannot. The 500 was certified in 1971; the 501 Citation I/SP (1977-85) is the single-pilot version.

The variants

MODEL	YEARS	ACTIVE	TAILFAX SCORE	WHAT CHANGED
500	1972–1976	63	Partial 11.7/30	The original Citation
501	1977–1985	189	Partial 21.8/30	Citation I/SP: single-pilot certification

Family fleet, active

252

FAA registry

NTSB events / 1,000, 10 yrs

27.8

7 events over 252 active aircraft, pooled across the family

Successor

Cessna Citation II / S/II (550)

Data as of: FAA registry Sep 28 · NTSB Oct 2 · scores Sep 30