Reliant Airlines

Dassault Falcon 20

The airplane was dispatched as a cargo flight to pick up a load of 118 boxes of automotive seatbelts. After refueling and loading the cargo on board, the flight crew taxied to runway 22 for a no-flap takeoff, which called for a V1 speed of 141 knots. The first officer was the flying pilot for this leg of the flight. The crew reported that the initial takeoff roll from the 11,009 foot runway was normal. At approximately 120 knots, the flight crew reported hearing a loud bang followed by a vibration. The captain called for the first officer to abort the takeoff. The captain later stated that he believed he saw the #2 engine "roll back." The flight crew reported that the brakes were not effective in slowing the airplane. A witness stated that the airplane was going west on the runway at a high rate of speed when it "went up to two feet, then came back down." Another witness stated that he saw the airplane "exit off the end of the runway" and after about "seventy-five to one hundred feet, the front wheels lifted off the ground about ten feet." The airplane overran the departure end of the runway, went through the airport's chain link perimeter fence, across a 4-lane highway, collided with 3 vehicles on the roadway, and went through a second chain link fence, before coming to rest. The airplane came to rest on its belly, 2,010 feet from the departure threshold of runway 22. The investigation revealed that the flight crew was provided an inaccurate weight for the cargo, and the airplane was found to be 942 pounds over the maximum takeoff weight at the time of the accident. The density altitude was calculated to be 5,614 feet at the time of the accident. Both crewmembers were current and properly certified; however, the captain had upgraded to his present position two months prior to the accident, and the first officer had accumulated a total of 123.8 hours in the Falcon 20 at the time of the accident. Both engines were operated in a test cell and performed within limits. About 90% of the right outboard main landing gear tire's retread was found on the runway approximately 7,200 feet from where the aircraft had commenced its takeoff roll. The operator stated that since the aircraft was over maximum gross weight, the long taxi to the runway could have resulted in the brakes and tires heating more than normal.

Dassault Falcon 20

During arrival, the cargo flight (reliant 232) contacted Binghamton approach control and received vectors for an ILS runway 16 approach. At that time, the atis had information (information kilo) that there was light freezing rain, that all paved surfaces had a thin layer of ice, and that braking action was poor. The copilot made the approach and landing. The captain reported that touchdown was normal in the 1st 1,000 feet of the runway and that the airbrake was used, but they did not know that braking action was nil until they were on the landing roll. By the time they realized braking was nil, there was insufficient runway remaining for a safe go-around. The captain reported he deployed the drag chute, but a witness who saw the chute, reported it did not open. Subsequently, the aircraft continued off the departure end of the 6,298 feet runway, went down a steep embankment and was extensively damaged. The required distance to stop on an icy runway was estimated to be 5,344 feet.