Cessna Citation 680 Makes Emergency Landing At Riverside Airport After Windshield Breaks

RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) - On Wednesday, an executive jet suffered a windshield break prompting the pilot to declare an emergency shortly after taking off from the Riverside Municipal Airport.

The break did not cause the windshield to completely cave in, but around 11 a.m., as the dual-engine Cessna Citation 680 was climbing to 38,000 feet, the copilot side windshield began to crack in several places, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Riverside Battalion Chief Joe Rosales said the pilot "rapidly descended below 10,000 feet out of precaution," to avoid losing cabin pressure.

Air traffic controllers gave the plane priority clearance to return to Riverside and notified public safety agencies, who arrived as the Cessna was on its final approach. The landing was uneventful and the window did not fully give way.

It is unknown where the plane, owned by company out of the Riverside airport, was going, but FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the agency is investigating the incident.