Dassault-Breguet FALCON 900 accident near South Bend, Indiana, January 20, 1989
On January 20, 1989 at about 1:14 pm local time, a Dassault-Breguet FALCON 900, registered N901B, was substantially damaged in an accident near South Bend, Indiana (Michiana Regional airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE THRUST REVERSER ACTUATOR LINKS DUE TO A MANUFACTURING/DESIGN PROBLEM. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE RUNWAY CONDITIONS AND THE CROSSWIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 20, 1989 · about 1:14 pm local time
- Place
- South Bend, Indiana · Michiana Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dassault-Breguet FALCON 900 · all FALCON 900s on the register
- Registration
- N901B · registry record · serial 024
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLTS RPRTD THAT WHILE LNDG ON A SNOW & SLUSH CVRD RWY, THEY USED FULL REVERSE THRUST & MAX BRAKING WITH ANTI-SKID, BUT THE ACFT DID NOT DECELERATE. THEY SELECTED THE #2 BRAKE SYS WITHOUT ANTI-SKID. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE MAIN TIRES FAILED (BLEW-OUT) & THE ACFT SLID OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RWY, COLLAPSING THE LEFT MAIN GEAR. INV REVEALED THAT BOTH THRUST REVERSER ACTUATOR LINKS ON THE #2 ENG HAD FAILED. WITH THESE FAILURES THE #2 ENG WOULD HAVE CONTD TO PROVIDE FWD THRUST,PROPELLING THE ACFT DWN THE RWY. (ON THIS MODEL OF ACFT, ONLY THE #2 ENG WAS EQUIPPED WITH REVERSE THRUST CAPABILITY.) METALLURGICAL EXAMS OF THE FWD ROD END FITTINGS OF BOTH REVERSE THRUST ACTUATOR LINKS (P/N 8140-06LK) REVEALED THE BEARING LOOPS HAD FAILED FROM OVERSTRESS. MANDATORY SERVICE BULLETIN (S/B) F900-78-1 WAS ISSUED ON 5/18/89 TO PROVIDE A SAFETY SYSTEM TO PREVENT ACTIVATION OF THE THRUST REVERSER ABOVE IDLE, WHILE THE AIRCRAFT IS ON THE GROUND. ALSO, MANDATORY S/B F900-78-2 WAS ISSUED ON 7/19/89 TO REINFORCE THE THRUST REVERSER ACTUATING MECHANISMS.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,985 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 119 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 8,400 as pilot in command; 2,700 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 886 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, December 22, 1988; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 45,500 lb
- Seats: 15
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE-731 (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PHL Philadelphia PA at 11:40 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 7,089 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 13 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,100 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:52 pm from SBN, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| 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.
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.