Dassault Falcon 10

Athletic Group

Premier LJ40

Skycharter

Aircraft was on a flight from Toronto-Lester B. Pearson International Airport to Toronto-Buttonville Municipal Airport, Ontario, with 2 pilots on board. Air traffic control cleared the aircraft for a contact approach to Runway 33. During the left turn on to final, the aircraft overshot the runway centerline. The pilot then compensated with a tight turn to the right to line up with the runway heading and touched down just beyond the threshold markings. Immediately after touchdown, the aircraft exited the runway to the right, and continued through the infield and the adjacent taxiway Bravo, striking a runway/taxiway identification sign, but avoiding aircraft that were parked on the apron. The aircraft came to a stop on the infield before Runway 21/03. The aircraft remained upright, and the landing gear did not collapse. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. There was no fire, and the flight crew was not injured. The Toronto-Buttonville tower controller observed the event as it progressed and immediately called for emergency vehicles from the nearby municipality. The accident occurred at 1506 Eastern Daylight Time.

Laret Aviation

On 12 February 2009, the Marcel Dassault/Bréguet Aviation Falcon 10 aircraft, registration VP-BAF, took off at 14:06 UTC from Vienna (LOWW) on a private flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) and an ATC flight plan Y, to Samedan (LSZS). Two crew members and one passenger were on board. After an uneventful flight, the IFR flight plan was cancelled at 14:56:32 UTC and the flight continued under visual flight rules (VFR). Over Samedan the crew were informed by the Samedan airport flight information service officer (FISO) that snow clearance work would be taking place on the runway and that they should expect a ten-minute delay. After approximately 15 minutes the crew initiated the approach. On landing, the aircraft made first contact with the ground by scraping the right wing on the left half of the runway and subsequently touched down with the right, and then the left main landing gear. It then drifted to the left and the left wing tip scraped a bank of snow running parallel to the runway. As a result it rotated anti-clockwise around its vertical axis and crashed into a frozen bank of snow about four metres high. The aircraft broke into two pieces as a result of the force of the impact. The two pilots suffered fatal injuries on the impact. The passenger was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. Fire did not break out.

Air Del

The pilot said that the copilot was flying a visual approach to runway 15 at the Lawrence Municipal Airport, Lawrence, Kansas. The pilot said, "With gear down and full flaps at approximately 15 to 20 feet above the runway and 115 KTS, the nose abruptly dropped and there was no elevator effectiveness with the yoke pulled back to the mechanical stop." The pilot said, "After landing, I noticed that the stabilizer trim indicated full nose down in the cockpit and, upon exterior inspection, the stab was in that position." The copilot said, "I made my turn to base and proceeded to make my turn to final. No problems with the controllability were noted at this time. The turn to final was made and the airplane was lined up with the runway on final approach with normal glide path. My altitude was dropping normally and my airspeed was approximately 140 knots." The copilot said, "When it got time to pull the power back to idle for landing our airspeed was approximately 110 knots and power was reduced. At that point in time the nose of the aircraft seemed to pitch over towards the runway and increase speed. I pulled back on the yoke to raise the nose and at that same instance the pilot recognized the pitch over and pulled back on the yoke at the same time. The yoke did not seem to pull all of the way to its full extent of travel and felt to mechanically stop at about 3/4 the way travel. Even with both pilot's pulling on the yoke it seemed unresponsive and failed to raise the nose back to a proper landing attitude. The aircraft hit the runway very hard and came to a stop on the runway." A preliminary inspection of the airplane showed the stabilizer positioned at 4 degrees nose down. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies.

Air Nunavut

Following an uneventful flight from Iqaluit, the twin engine aircraft bounced twice upon landing. The crew completed the braking procedure 'normally' then vacated the runway and parked the airplane on the apron. After all 10 occupants disembarked, technicians realized that the fuselage was severely damaged and the aircraft was declared as damaged beyond repair.

International Aviation

On approach to White Plains-Westchester County Airport, the crew noted a left main gear unsafe light. The gear was recycled and the crew agreed with ATC to perform a low pass to check the gear. Few minutes later, upon landing, the left main gear collapsed. All four occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Chaillotine Air Service

Following an uneventful charter flight from Chailley, the aircraft landed on runway 33 at 1942LT with two passengers and two pilots on board. Just behind the Falcon 10 landed on same runway 33 a Boeing 727-223 registered EI-HCD and operated by Hunting Cargo Airlines. With four people on board, the B727 completed a cargo flight from Porto. Both aircraft vacated the runway at taxiway K-1 but the Falcon 10 used a taxiway parallel to the one which EI-HCD was using while heading for the apron. At the intersection of taxiways A-8 and M-8 both aircraft collided. While the B727 suffered minor damages, the Falcon 10 was damaged beyond repair and its four occupants escaped uninjured, among them the French actor Gérard Depardieu.

Burda Holding

On approach to Offenburg Airport runway 02, the crew encountered limited visibility due to low clouds. Under VFR mode in IMC conditions, the crew failed to realize his altitude was too low when the aircraft collided with trees and crashed in a hilly terrain located about 7,2 km southeast of runway 02 threshold, near Friesenheim. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all four occupants were killed.

MASCO

The pilot reported getting an unsafe indication on the right main landing gear when the landing gear was lowered. The crew recycled the landing gear and got the same unsafe indication. The crew retracted the gear and diverted to Detroit. On arrival, the crew performed the 'landing gear abnormal extension checklist,' but the unsafe indication remained. The air traffic control tower reported that the gear appeared normal. During the landing, the right main landing gear retracted. The airplane slid sideways, striking a runway marker as it departed the runway, and came to rest in a field. Examination revealed that the right landing gear downlock mechanism could be overcome with physical force. Examination of the right landing gear actuator revealed that one of the six shims which separate the spacers and help guide the safety lock switch was out of position and lying on top of the lock assembly.

Top Air

While on approach to Paris-Le Bourget Airport in poor weather conditions, the crew realized he was not properly aligned and decided to initiate a go-around procedure. Few minutes later, a second attempt to land was also abandoned as the crew was unable to establish a visual contact with the runway. During the third attempt to land, the aircraft landed hard, bounced and landed a second time few dozen metres further. The crew taxied to the ramp and to his assigned parking place. Analysis of the aircraft revealed serious structural damages and the aircraft was later considered as damaged beyond repair.

Chaillotine Air Service

During the takeoff roll from Besançon-La Vèze Airport runway 24, the captain realized that the aircraft was not accelerating properly and decided to abort. The crew initiated an emergency braking procedure but the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran, stuck a 2,4 metres high embankment located 30 metres past the runway end and came to rest, bursting into flames. The passenger was seriously injured and both pilots were killed.

BAC Inc.

Because of the failure of the thrust reverser relay circuit board, the thrust reversers failed to deploy when selected by the pilot. Because the reversers failed to deploy, the 'reversers in transition' lights, and the 'reversers deployed' lights did not illuminate. Even though the aircraft flight manual warns against moving the reverser throttle levers into the power range without the illumination of these lights, the pilot did so anyway. The pilot continued to select reverse power even after the activation of the throttle mismatch warning horn, resulting in an increase in forward thrust while attempting to stop. During this sequence of events the second-in-command moved the parking brake lever to full override, locking the main wheel brakes and overriding the antiskid system.

White Industries

Upon landing at Aurillac Airport, the twin engine aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. All nine occupants escaped uninjured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Manchester Group

During the takeoff roll on a contaminated runway, the copilot noted a lack of acceleration. Just beyond midfield, the copilot called for an abort, however, the pilot elected to continue. The airplane did not reach Vr and the pilot attempted to rotate the airplane at the end of the runway. The airplane collided with and travelled through a five foot high snowbank and came to rest in a field approximately 500 feet from the end of the runway. During the post crash investigation, evidence indicated that the parking brake had been in the intermediate position or 23% of maximum braking. The parking brake warning light was found to operate correctly if the panel lights were set in the bright light position. In the dim position, the warning light was inoperative. During the on site investigation, the panel lights were found in the dim position. Both passengers were slightly injured while both pilots were seriously injured.

Chapelle Darblay

Suffered a landing accident at Brest-Guipavas Airport. There were no casualties.

Serv-Jet

After landing at Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport, the aircraft encountered difficulties to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and came to rest in the Guanabara Bay. Both pilots were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Falcon Jet Corporation

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.

Rembrandt Tobacco

Following an uneventful flight, the crew started the approach to Pietersburg-Gateway Airport. On descent, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and the visibility was limited. Due to excessive workload in the cockpit, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when, at an altitude of 5,200 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of a mountain located near Haenertsburg, about 55 km east of Pietersburg Airport. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all four occupants were killed.

Seneca Sawmill Company

As the aircraft was climbing thru 19,000 feet at night, the #2 generator (gen) light came on. The flight crew noted there was no output from the #2 gen and it would not reset. They then checked the #1 gen voltage and noted it was 14 to 15 volts. The crew reduced the electrical load; however, about 5 minutes later, the batteries became discharged and there was a total loss of electrical power. Using a flashlight, the crew diverted to the Chester County Airport which had a 4,600 feet runway. The gear was extended with the emergency system. The elevator trim was inoperative, so both pilots applied back pressure on the yoke to overcome the nose down tendency. After landing about 1/4 of the way down the runway, the crew tried to use the thrust reversers, but the reversers were inoperative. Subsequently, the aircraft continued off the side and beyond the end of the runway, hit a wooden beam and a snowbank, then came to rest in a ditch. An investigation revealed a shaft failure of the #2 gen (starter/gen) and worn brushes in the #1 gen. With total electrical failure, the following were also inoperative: wing flaps, anti-skid, capt's airspeed indicator and altimeter, nose wheel steering, cockpit lighting.

Air BG

Crashed on final approach to Châlons-Vatry Airport while on a positioning flight. Both pilots were killed.

Durakool

The Falcon 10 touched down long and fast on a wet runway, experienced hydroplaning and went off the end of the runway, struck a drainage ditch and collapsed the landing gear. The nose gear came back and bent the throttle quadrant bracket, pulled the fuel controls to 90% power. This pushed the aircraft on its belly another 1,000-1,600 feet until it came to a stop on a hillside. Both pilots were uninjured.

Kellogg Company

The airplane was unable to takeoff from Chicago-Merrill C. Meigs Airport runway 18, overran and crashed into Lake Michigan. A pilot and a passenger were killed while four other occupants were seriously injured. The aircraft came to rest in 25 feet of water about 300 feet past the runway end.

Mountain Bell

Few minutes after takeoff from Denver-Stapleton Airport, while climbing to an altitude of 12,000 feet, the crew reported hydraulic problems and was cleared to return. Shortly later, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a field located 10 miles northeast of Stapleton Airport. A passenger was seriously injured while four other occupants were killed.

Avions Marcel Dassault - Groupe Dassault

The crew (a pilot and a flight engineer) were engaged in a test flight on this first Dassault Falcon 10 prototype of the French manufacturer Avions Marcel Dassault (Dassault Aviation). While cruising at an altitude of 15,000 feet and a speed of 360 knots, control was lost. The airplane entered a dive and crashed in an open field located in Loreux, about 8 km northeast of Romorantin-Lanthenay. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed. Crew: Alain Tretout, pilot, Jacques Ladeux, flight engineer.