Dassault-Breguet DA 10 N121FJ

Summary

On 15 October 1987 at about 22:28 local time, a Dassault-Breguet DA 10 registered N121FJ, operated by Falcon Jet Corporation, was involved in an accident near Rancho Murieta, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 October 1987 at 22:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Rancho Murieta, California, United States

Nearest airport

Rancho Murieta (0Q7)

Coordinates

38.5092, -121.1196

Aircraft

Dassault-Breguet DA 10

Registration

N121FJ

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Falcon Jet Corporation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → San Jose

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX88FA015

3 people died.

IN FLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL BY THE PILOT FLYING WHILE PERFORMING AN INTENTIONAL LOW LEVEL AEROBATIC MANEUVER.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT FLEW TO THE ARPT FOR A SALES DEMO FLT. THE CREW BOARDED THE ACFT AND TAXIED OUT FOR DEP. WITNESSES, INCLUDING TWO PLTS WITH AEROBATIC EXP, WATCHED THE ACFT DEP, MAKE A LEFT TRAFFIC PATTERN AND DO A LOW FLY-BY DOWN THE RWY. AT THE DEP END OF THE RWY, THE ACFT PITCHED UP INTO A STEEP CLIMB. AT 600 FT AGL, THE ACFT 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 DEG POINT OF THE ROLL, THE ACFT WAS SEEN TO 'FALL OUT' OR 'DISH OUT' OF THE ROLL; IT RECOVERED TO WINGS LEVEL FLT AT ABOUT 100 FT 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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.