Buying guide
Citation 500 for sale: what to check before you buy
Published November 12, 2026.
The Citation 500, later sold as the Citation I, is the first Cessna business jet and today one of the cheapest ways into a jet. It is also a design from the early 1970s, and what a given aircraft can do depends heavily on its serial number. Below is what the official EASA data sheet says about weights, ceiling, crew and RVSM by serial, what today's listings show, and what to check before an offer.
What the serial number decides
The Model 500 is on EASA data sheet IM.A.207, with Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-1, -1A or -1B engines of 2,200 lb of takeoff thrust. Weights and ceiling change along the production run.1
| Serials | Max. takeoff weight | Max. landing weight | Max. operating altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500-0001 to 500-0070 | 10,850 lb (4,921 kg) | 10,400 lb (4,717 kg) | 35,000 ft |
| 500-0071 to 500-0213 | 11,500 lb (5,216 kg) | 11,000 lb (4,990 kg) | 35,000 ft |
| 500-0214 to 500-0302 | 11,500 lb (5,216 kg) | 11,000 lb (4,990 kg) | 41,000 ft |
| 500-0303 to 500-0689 | 11,850 lb (5,376 kg) | 11,350 lb (5,148 kg) | 41,000 ft |
According to the official data sheet, earlier serials can reach the higher weights, and serials up to 500-0213 can reach 41,000 ft, when modified by the Cessna service bulletins it names. The minimum flight crew is two, pilot and co-pilot, for all flights, and the aircraft is certified for up to nine occupants. The single-pilot Citation I/SP, the Model 501, is not on this data sheet.1
What today's listings show
On November 12, 2026, the PlaneFox aggregator, which collects listings from European and American portals and brokers, showed 23 aircraft of the family for sale. We separated them by serial number where it is published and by the listing title where it is not.2
| PlaneFox, 11/12/2026 | Citation 500 / Citation I | Citation I/SP (501) |
|---|---|---|
| Listings | 12 | 11 |
| Model years | 1972 to 1977 | 1977 to 1983 |
| Total hours (11 listings each) | 6,078 to 12,667, median 8,204 | 4,359 to 9,531, median 6,242 |
| Asking prices published | US$395,000, €440,000, US$550,000, US$850,000 | US$639,500, US$657,000, €1,100,000 |
The €440,000 aircraft is the one on our own site. The US$850,000 listing is a modified aircraft sold under a conversion name, which is a different proposition from a standard 500. Most listings publish no price. Asking price is not selling price.
What to check on any Citation 500
- The serial sets the limits. Find the aircraft in the table above, then ask which service bulletins have been done, because they change its weights and ceiling.1 The routine for checking serial, registration and owner is in this post.
- Two pilots. The data sheet requires a pilot and a co-pilot on every flight.1 In the United States the FAA ended single-pilot flying in this family in 2026, as we explain in this post, so the cost of the second pilot, for example through a SIC type rating course, belongs in the budget.
- RVSM. The data sheet lists only serials 500-0275 to 500-0689, with a specific service bulletin done, as meeting the requirements for reduced vertical separation airspace.1 Ask for the RVSM approval of the aircraft on offer and the basis for it. Without it, the cruising levels available are much lower than the ceiling in the table.
- Engines. Ask for the hours and cycles since overhaul of each engine, the hours left to the next overhaul and whether there is an engine programme. On aircraft of this age the engines often have more hours than the airframe because they came from other aircraft; ask for the records of each one.
- Age. This part is our reading. These aircraft are around 50 years old. Corrosion, wiring, pressurisation and the availability of parts weigh more than the hours, and a pre-purchase inspection by a shop that knows the type is not optional.
- Airworthiness directives. Check the directives for the airframe and engines, and compliance in the records.3
The Citation 500 we have for sale
- Citation 500, serial 500-0081: 6,475 hours, below the median of the 500s for sale, JT15D-1A engines with 401 and 1,218 hours left to overhaul, Garmin GNS 530AW and 430AW, seven seats, €440,000.
By its serial, this aircraft is in the 11,500 lb group with a 35,000 ft ceiling unless modified, and below the serial range the data sheet lists for RVSM. Which bulletins and approvals it has is confirmed with the seller on request.
Sources
- EASA, type certificate data sheet IM.A.207, Cessna 500, 550, S550, 560 and 560XL, issue 10, July 6, 2022: easa.europa.eu
- PlaneFox, Citation 500 and 501 listings, accessed Nov. 12, 2026: planefox.com
- EASA, Safety Publications Tool (airworthiness directives): ad.easa.europa.eu