El Paso-Intl

The cargo flight was cleared for a visual approach to the 5,000-foot long, by 150-foot wide asphalt runway. Based on estimated landing weight of the aircraft, the Vref was estimated at 116 KIAS. Air traffic Control (ATC) radar data revealed that the flight maintained a ground speed above 190 knots on final approach, to include the touchdown zone for runway 13. The first evidence of braking was noted at a point 1,247 feet from the departure end of the runway. Braking signatures on the asphalt as well as off the pavement were consistent with an operational anti-skid system. Witnesses at the airport also observed the airplane flying very fast and touching down long. Both crewmembers, the 4,689-hour captain and the 2,873-hour first officer, were familiar with the airport, and the flight was 20 minutes ahead of its scheduled arrival time. The airplane overran the departure end of runway 13, impacted the airport perimeter fence, proceeded across a roadway, took out another fence, and collided with two trees in a cemetery. The airplane was found to be within weight and balance limits for all phases of the flight. The installed cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was found not to be functional.

The pilot reported that light snow was falling, with approximately 2 inches already on the ground, and the runway had been plowed approximately one hour prior to his departure. About 20 minutes had elapsed since the airplane had been towed from the '68 degree F' hangar. During the takeoff, the airplane accelerated 'normally' and became airborne after traveling about 2,160 feet down the 3,240-foot runway. After liftoff, the airplane did not climb above 25 or 30 feet agl. The airplane impacted an embankment at the end of the runway, continued across railroad tracks, and through a fence coming to rest in a brick storage yard about 800-1,000 feet from the departure end of the runway. The pilot stated that someone told him that the airport did not have any deicing equipment, therefore, he did not deice the airplane. The weather facility, located 5 miles from the accident site, reported the wind from 100 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 1/2 mile with snow and freezing fog, temperature 27 degrees F.

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.

The pilot had been flying approximately 7 hours and was completing the flight at night when the accident occurred. He was using visual cues (the airport environment) to position the aircraft at a proper altitude for a visual approach and landing. The terrain south of the airport rises several hundred feet above the airport elevation. The terrain is sparsely lit. The aircraft touched down two miles short of runway 34R in an open pasture at an elevation of approximately 400 feet higher than the airport. The pilot had flown approximately one hour of night time in the last 90 days, according to his logbook. All three occupants were injured, two seriously.

The aircraft was on a flight from the El Paso Intl Airport to the West Texas Airport. A hard landing was made causing all three landing gear to collapse, folded the left wing aft just inboard of the engine and twisted the entire right wing about 30° leading edge down. According to the pilot the aircraft was flown with 30° of flaps on downwind and 47° of flaps on base. He also reported that both airspeed indicators were stuck at 110 knots. According to photographs taken by an unidentified party, the flaps were in the up position in the pattern and during touchdown. Touchdown was made with the right main gear off the right side of the rwy. The aircraft wheel track is only 4 feet less than the width of the runway. The pilot did not have a type rating nor authorization in lieu of a type rating for the 15 minutes ferry flight. The pilot had 4,140 hours copilot time in the aircraft, during which he had never landed the aircraft.

After takeoff from El Paso Airport, while climbing to a height of about 800 feet, the engine caught fire. The pilot bailed out and abandoned the aircraft that entered a dive and crashed in a field. The pilot was uninjured and the aircraft was destroyed.