Dassault-Breguet FALCON 900 accident near Detroit, Michigan, March 17, 1994
On March 17, 1994 at about 6:39 am local time, a Dassault-Breguet FALCON 900, registered N327K, was substantially damaged in an accident near Detroit, Michigan (Detroit Metro airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the nose landing gear jammed in the UP position due to low pressure in the nose gear strut. A factor associated with the accident is the manufacturer's insufficient standards/requirements for determining the amount of nose strut inflation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1994 · about 6:39 am local time
- Place
- Detroit, Michigan · Detroit Metro · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dassault-Breguet FALCON 900 · all FALCON 900s on the register
- Registration
- N327K · registry record · serial 003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff from Washington National Airport, the flight crew reported a loud air noise coming from the nose gear area after landing gear retraction. The crew elected to continue to their destination, Detroit Metro Airport. At their destination, the nose landing gear did not extend. The pilot made a landing with the nose gear UP. When the nose gear was retracted on takeoff the nose gear door hooks missed the gear door rollers on the lower nose gear strut. In the wheel well, the gear door rollers were above the gear door hooks. The gear will not extend when this configuration exists. The nose gear strut pressure was found to be below minimum acceptable pressure. The inspection program required a dimensional check of the nose strut extension to determine if there was acceptable strut pressure. It was found that the proper dimension can exist without minimum pressure in the strut.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 110 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 10,500 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,397 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, February 14, 1994; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 46,500 lb
- Seats: 14
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TFE731-5AR-IC (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DCA Washington DC at 3:40 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 3R, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 310° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 19°F (-7°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:43 am from DTW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.