Dassault Falcon 20C accident near Eagle, Colorado, January 8, 2010
On January 8, 2010 at about 7:25 pm local time, a Dassault Falcon 20C, registered XAPCC, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Eagle, Colorado (Eagle County Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew’s improper preflight inspection and failure to remove the main landing gear wheel chock, resulting in damage and subsequent failure of the main landing gear tire during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2010 · about 7:25 pm local time
- Place
- Eagle, Colorado · Eagle County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dassault Falcon 20C
- Registration
- XAPCC · no longer on the register · serial 159
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During taxi the airplane was observed to run over a tire chock with the left main gear tire. During a turn out of the ramp, the left main gear was observed to run over the nose gear chock that had been removed from the nose gear by the pilot during pre-flight. During the departure roll, the left main gear tire failed and the pilot elected to abort the takeoff attempt. The airplane did not stop on the remaining runway surface and departed the runway overrun area, coming to rest in snow-covered terrain. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed no anomalies.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Failure
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 13,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: General Electric CF-700-2D2; 0 hours total
- Engine 2: General Electric CF-700-2D2; 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KEGE Eagle CO at 7:25 pm
- Destination: MMCU Chihuahua
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 9°F (-13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.39 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from KEGE, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.