Dassault-Breguet Falcon 10 accident near Sellersburg, Indiana, March 24, 2011
On March 24, 2011 at about 2:50 am local time, a Dassault-Breguet Falcon 10, registered N303FZ, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Sellersburg, Indiana (Clark Regional Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during landing in strong and gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 24, 2011 · about 2:50 am local time
- Place
- Sellersburg, Indiana · Clark Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dassault-Breguet Falcon 10 · all Falcon 10s on the register
- Registration
- N303FZ · no longer on the register · serial 218
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the airplane in a strong and gusty left quartering headwind and, as the airplane touched down, it encountered a wind gust that raised the left wing. The pilot corrected with a left roll input as he simultaneously reduced the airplane's pitch in an attempt to place the nosewheel onto the runway, but the airplane became airborne and drifted off the runway. The airplane touched down for the second time in the grassy area alongside the runway, where the subsequent landing roll was completed. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › High wind › Ability to respond/compensate
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,777 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 89 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 11,704 as pilot in command; 581 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 20, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,642 hours in all; 140 in this make and model; 124 in the last 90 days; 39 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 20, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,640 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, March 16, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 18,740 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Garrett TFE731-2-1C (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Garrett TFE731-2-1C (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aviation Transport Solutions, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KHAO Hamilton OH at 2:00 am
- Destination: KJVY Sellersburg IN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 310° at 22 knots, gusting 29
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.64 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from KLOU, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN11LA265.