Ownership guide
Cessna 560XL
717 registered in the US, built from about 1998 to 2026, 13 seats, most with the Pratt & Whitney PW545. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 717
- Built
- 1998 to 2026
- Half built by
- 2006
- Seats
- 13
- Engine type
- Turbofan
- Most common engine
- Pratt & Whitney PW545
Engines installed
- Pratt & Whitney PW545280 aircraft (39%)
- Pratt & Whitney PW545C221 aircraft (31%)
- Pratt & Whitney PW545B139 aircraft (19%) · 1 ADs, 1 with a repeat action
- Pratt & Whitney PW545A56 aircraft (8%) · 2 ADs, 1 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
9 current ADs name the 560XL airframe, 2 with a repeat action; 1 more were superseded. Its engines carry 3 more. 9 equipment ADs name the model.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
- 2013-09-11Requires inspecting to determine if certain A/C compressor motors are installed and to determine the accumulated hours on certain A/C drive motor assemblies; repetitive replacement of the brushes in the drive motor...Air conditioning · AirplaneRepeat actionMay 30, 2013
- 2000-15-51Cessna Model 560XL AirplanesAirplaneRepeat actionAug 8, 2000
What gets reported
1,500 Service Difficulty Reports since 2016: a mechanic or operator files one when a part fails or is found defective.
Systems reported most
- Passenger/Crew Doors272
- Emergency Lighting118
- Landing Gear Brake System66
- Air Distribution System45
- Landing Gear Position and Warning37
- Engine (Turbine/Turboprop)34
Parts reported most
- Unknown, unknown94
- None, none50
- Torque tube, corroded30
- Skin, corroded30
- Unknown, odor25
- Battery, defective13
The latest reports
2026-10-05 · Extinguishing System · Fire bottle, low pressure
Repeat discrepancy - during climbout in the flight levels and near level off, the amber fire bottle low 2 cas message displayed and remained on for entire cruise portion. message extinguished eventually during descent and diversion for mx. corrective action: removed suspected low psi fire extinguisher 2 (aft) p/n: 30400037-1 s/n: 97493b1, and installed an overhauled fire extinguisher p/n: 3040003
2026-09-23 · Fuel Boost Pump · Actuator, defective
While climbing through fl350 we crossfed fuel from the left tank to the right engine. after turning the crossfeed off, the amber fuel bst pump on l-r cas message appeared. followed the procedure in the qrh and selected both boost pumps on. the cas message remained displayed for the remainder of the flight. replaced actuator assy. ops check good. iaw amm 28-21-06 & 28-20-00
2026-09-23 · Hydraulic System, Main · Warning message, false indication
During initial cruise phase of flight we received hyd flow low l quickly followed by a hyd flow low r. ran the qrh and spoke with the fodm and made the decision to divert and declare an emergency. during the descent, the cas messages came and went a couple of times before going away completely. extended the gear normally and got three green indications. we made the decision to continue on with a n
2026-09-20 · Door Warning System · Switch, out of adjust
On initial climbout, the amber cabin door open cas illuminated. the message remained for the duration of the flight. before engine start, all 6 green lights and 9 door flags were in the appropriate positions. readjusted med lock switch. ops check good. iaw ce560xl amm 52-70-00
From the FAA's Service Difficulty Reporting System, refreshed monthly. Counts of what was reported, not failure rates: most of general aviation reports voluntarily, and a busy training fleet reports more than a private one.
Accident record
13 accidents since 2008, 1 fatal (7 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 2 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Runway excursion3
- Landing gear collapse3
- Birdstrike2
- Flight control sys failure1
- Miscellaneous/other1
- Ground collision1
Phase of flight
- Landing6
- Enroute2
- Initial climb1
- Approach1
- Takeoff1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-01 | Porterville, CA | Landing: Runway excursion | Minor | WPR26LA326 |
| 2025-08-14 | Oakland park, FL | Initial climb: Flight control sys failure | None | ERA25LA301 |
| 2023-11-26 | Council bluffs, IA | Enroute: Birdstrike | None | CEN24LA054 |
| 2022-03-24 | Sevilla | Enroute: Miscellaneous/other | None | GAA22WA143 |
| 2021-09-03 | Salt lake city, UT | Approach: Birdstrike | None | WPR21LA335 |
| 2021-07-21 | Reading, PA | Landing: Runway excursion | None | ERA21LA296 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD (2 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- Ask the mechanic doing the pre-buy to look hard at the passenger/crew doors and for unknown unknowns: they are what gets reported most on this model.
- 9 equipment ADs name the 560XL (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
The rest of the 560 family
Questions
- How many Cessna 560XLs are registered in the US?
- 717, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Cessna 560XL built?
- From about 1998 to 2026. Half of those registered today were built by 2006.
- What engine does the Cessna 560XL have?
- Most have the Pratt & Whitney PW545 (39% of those registered); others have the Pratt & Whitney PW545C, Pratt & Whitney PW545B, Pratt & Whitney PW545A.
- What are common problems with the Cessna 560XL?
- In 1,500 Service Difficulty Reports filed with the FAA since 2016, the systems reported most were passenger/crew doors, emergency lighting, landing gear brake system, and the part most often reported was a unknown unknown.
- How many accidents has the Cessna 560XL had?
- 13 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 1 of them fatal. The most common defining event was runway excursion. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Cessna 560XL have?
- 9 current ADs name the 560XL airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 3 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.