Falcon Jet Corporation

Dassault Falcon 10

The aircraft flew to the airport for a sales demonstration flight. The crew boarded the aircraft and taxied out for departure. Witnesses, including two pilots with aerobatic experience, watched the aircraft departure, make a left traffic pattern and do a low fly-by down the runway. At the departure end of the runway, the aircraft pitched up into a steep climb. At 600 feet agl, the aircraft entered a left aileron roll, which the witnesses said was 'smooth, coordinated and with the nose on the point.' At the inverted point of the roll, the roll changed from an aileron to a barrel roll. One pilot witness said that it appeared the 'crew lost it at the top' and that the crew 'held the back pressure too long at the top.' At the 270° point of the roll, the aircraft was seen to 'fall out' or 'dish out' of the roll; it recovered to wings level flight at about 100 feet agl in a very nose high attitude settling into the ground with a high vertical descent rate. No preimpact eng or control system malfunctions were found. All three occupants were killed.