Country
France

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 20C on Mt Chivilme: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1997 at 2211 LT
Type of aircraft:
Dassault Falcon 20
Operator:
Estornel Air Services
Registration:
LV-WLH
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Córdoba – San Miguel de Tucumán – Salta
MSN:
34
YOM:
1966
Location:
Mt Chivilme
Salta
Country:
Argentina
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Aircraft flight hours:
15118
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Córdoba to Salta with an intermediate stop in San Miguel de Tucumán, carrying two passengers and two pilots. The crew departed San Miguel de Tucumán-Teniente Benjamin Matienzo Airport at 2145LT and was cleared to climb to FL180. At 2201LT, the crew reported over PONPI VOR located 55 nm from Salta. Two minutes later, the crew was cleared to descent on top of the clouds in VMC conditions. While cruising at an altitude of 6,970 feet, the aircraft struck the slope of Mt Chivilme located 36,4 km southwest of Salta Airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Collision with a mountain during the descent prior to landing, while flying an instrument approach procedure other than the existing airport destination with errors in distances and heights. The following contributing factors were identified:
- Use of GPS as the primary instrument of navigation, when it should be used as a supplementary tool or reference,
- Lack of control over the instruments and procedures,
- Poor crew resources management,
- Placement of a fictitious point in the GPS with the name 'F-SAL' point which is easily confused with "SALT", the acronym of the Salta airport.

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 20F in Davao City

Date & Time: Apr 24, 1996 at 1145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Dassault Falcon 20
Operator:
Registration:
RP-C1980
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Davao City - Manila
MSN:
400
YOM:
1979
Location:
Davao City
Davao del Sur
Country:
Philippines
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a cargo flight from Davao City to Manila, carrying six passengers, two pilots and a load consisting of eight crates of gold. Just after liftoff, while climbing to a height of about 75 feet, the aircraft stalled and landed back on runway. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran and came to rest in a banana plantation, broken in three. All eight occupants escaped uninjured.

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 20E in Paris: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 20, 1995 at 1732 LT
Type of aircraft:
Dassault Falcon 20
Operator:
Leadair Unijet
Registration:
F-GHLN
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Paris - Sibiu
MSN:
255
YOM:
1972
Flight number:
LEA001N
Location:
Paris-Le Bourget
Seine-Saint-Denis
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Captain / Total flying hours:
6191
Captain / Total hours on type:
668.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3130
Copilot / Total hours on type:
451
Aircraft flight hours:
7865
Circumstances:
After takeoff from runway 25 at Paris-Le Bourget Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft collided with birds. The left engine failed then exploded. The crew declared an emergency and was cleared to return. On short final, after the left engine detached, the aircraft nosed down to an angle of 15°, struck the ground and crashed near runway 21 threshold. It slid for 430 metres then came to rest, bursting into flames. The aircraft was destroyed by fire and all 10 occupants were killed, among them CEO of the food group Saint-Louis.
Probable cause:
The accident was the consequence of the following:
- Massive ingestion of 15 birds of the crested lapwing species by the left engine after rotation,
- Uncontrolled damage to this engine due to the failure of its fan rotor overspeed protection system, which led to the aircraft fire. The rapid development of the fire caused the aircraft to lose control in the final phase of the emergency landing attempt.
Final Report:

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 20SNA in Élancourt: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1991
Type of aircraft:
Dassault Falcon 20
Operator:
Registration:
309/F-UGWP
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Luxeuil - Vélizy-Villacoublay
MSN:
309
YOM:
1975
Location:
Élancourt
Yvelines
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew departed Luxeuil-Saint Sauveur AFB on a training flight to Vélizy-Villacoublay AFB on behalf of the 'Système de Navigation d’Attaque' (SNA). On approach, both engines lost power and the crew elected to divert to Toussus-le-Noble Airport for an emergency landing. The captain eventually attempted to land on a sports field when the aircraft struck a concrete wall and crashed, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found in Élancourt, about 17 km west of Vélizy-Villacoublay AFB. The aircraft christened 'Étoile du Berger' was destroyed and all four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cdt Jean-Luc Luciani,
Cpt Christian Huth,
Cpt Pierre Schmitt,
Lt Philippe Hirson.
Probable cause:
It is believed that both engines lost power on approach after ice detached from both wings surfaces.

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 20C in Kiel: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 25, 1991
Type of aircraft:
Dassault Falcon 20
Operator:
Grup-Air
Registration:
I-NLAE
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Milan - Kiel
MSN:
134
YOM:
1968
Location:
Kiel-Holtenau
Schleswig-Holstein
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Following a wrong approach configuration, the twin engine aircraft landed too far down a wet runway. After touchdown, the crew realized he would not be able to stop the airplane within the remaining distance and decided to initiate a go-around procedure. Power was added on both engines and the aircraft took off. After passing over the runway end at low altitude, the aircraft struck trees, stalled and crashed in a wooded area. Nine occupants were injured, some of them seriously, while one pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
Wrong approach configuration on part of the crew who completed the approach at an excessive speed and above the glide. This caused the aircraft to land too far down a runway and the landing distance available was insufficient. After touchdown, the crew failed to identify the situation in due time and the decision to initiate a go-around procedure was taken too late. The following contributing factors were reported:
- Poor crew coordination,
- Poor planned approach and crew decisions,
- Wet runway surface (poor braking coefficient),
- Rain falls.

Crash of a Dassault Falcon 20DC in Cartersville: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 29, 1989 at 0004 LT
Type of aircraft:
Dassault Falcon 20
Operator:
Registration:
N125CA
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Cartersville - Montgomery
MSN:
208
YOM:
1970
Flight number:
PHX125
Location:
Cartersville
Georgia
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
7940
Captain / Total hours on type:
770.00
Aircraft flight hours:
13547
Circumstances:
The crew arrived at the airport about 20 minutes before the planned midnight takeoff time, after the pilot-in-command had spent the day moving furniture. A night watchman noted that the preflight inspection and takeoff roll to rotation/lift-off was normal. There was no post-takeoff radio call to either unicom or ATC, although the crew had filed an IFR flight plan. After taking off from runway 36, the aircraft crashed about 1.8 mile north of the runway. The wreckage was found after interruption of electrical power to a nearby city. Initial impact was with trees, while in a shallow/left/descending turn. An area of trees about 1/2 mile long was damaged by impact and fire. Before coming to rest, the aircraft hit a powerline support tower. There was evidence the aircraft was traveling at about 260 knots, when it crashed. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found that would have resulted in the accident. Both pilots were killed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the pilot-in-command (pic) to assure that the aircraft maintained a climb profile after takeoff. Factors related to the accident were: dark night, the crew's lack of visual perception at night, the pic's lack of rest (fatigue), and the copilot's failure to attain remedial action.
Final Report:
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