Dassault-Breguet FALCON 10 accident near Panama City, Florida, June 7, 2023
On June 7, 2023 at about 1:17 am local time, a 1977 Dassault-Breguet FALCON 10, registered N87RT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Panama City, Florida (Northwest Florida Beaches Inte airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 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 failure to appropriately configure the airplane for landing, which resulted in a failed attempt to utilize the thrust reversers during landing and the inability to stop the airplane using its brakes due to increased forward thrust. Contributing to the accident was the flight crew’s failure to utilize the appropriate checklist for the thrust reverser equipped airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2023 · about 1:17 am local time
- Place
- Panama City, Florida · Northwest Florida Beaches Inte · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dassault-Breguet FALCON 10, built 1977 · all FALCON 10s on the register
- Registration
- N87RT · registry record · serial 106
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Upon arriving at the destination airport, the business jet touched down about 2,500 ft beyond the threshold of the 10,000-ft-long runway. The pilot extended the airplane’s flight spoilers and attempted to activate the thrust reversers, but the airplane did not decelerate as expected and a warning horn sounded. The pilots then attempted to apply normal followed by emergency braking, both of which were ineffective in slowing the airplane. The airplane subsequently overran the runway and struck several approach lighting stanchions, coming to rest after the landing gear collapsed. The airplane’s occupants were uninjured, but the airplane was substantially damaged during the accident sequence. Following the accident, the captain noticed he had forgotten to move the thrust reverser emergency stow switches to their normal operating position after completing a preflight check. The warning horn heard during the landing was an indication of the stowed thrust reverser switches. The ineffective braking likely occurred because of the engines’ increased thrust output due to the attempted application of the thrust reversers with the switches in the stowed position. A postaccident examination of the wreckage confirmed that there was no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The airplane checklist found in the cockpit was marked “For Training Purposes Only” and for an airplane that was not equipped with thrust reversers.
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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine exhaust › Thrust reverser › Incorrect use/operation
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Flight crew
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Flight crew
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; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 29,000 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 97 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 22,000 as pilot in command; 8,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 30, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 441 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 104 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 28, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,014 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 22, 2023; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 18,740 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Garrett TFE 731-2C (turbofan); 9,631 hours total
- Engine 2: Garrett TFE 731-2C (turbofan); 9,599 hours total
- Operator: Aviation Development Group
The flight
- Departed from: RYY Atlanta GA
- Destination: ECP Panama City FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 16, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 8:20 pm from ECP
Weather report (METAR): SPECI KECP 070120Z 19004KT 10SM CLR 24/21 A2987 RMK AO1 T02440206=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
18 documents, released by the NTSB on July 3, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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 ERA23LA261.