Dassault DA-10 accident near Coatsville, Pennsylvania, February 28, 1986
On February 28, 1986 at about 3:30 am local time, a Dassault DA-10, registered N821LG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Coatsville, Pennsylvania (Chester County airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 28, 1986 · about 3:30 am local time
- Place
- Coatsville, Pennsylvania · Chester County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Dassault DA-10
- Registration
- N821LG · registry record · serial 170
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AS THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU 19,000' AT NGT, THE #2 GENERATOR (GEN) LGT CAME ON. THE FLT CREW NOTED THERE WAS NO OUTPUTFM THE #2 GEN & IT WOULD NOT RESET. THEY THEN CHECKED THE #1 GEN VOLTAGE & NOTED IT WAS 14 TO 15 VOLTS. THE CREW REDUCEDTHE ELEC LOAD; HOWEVER, ABOUT 5 MIN LATER, THE BATTERIES BCM DISCHARGED & THERE WAS A TOTAL LOSS OF ELEC PWR. USING A FLASHLIGHT, THE CREW DIVERTED TO THE CHESTER COUNTY ARPT WHICH HAD A 4600' RWY. THE GEAR WAS EXTDD WITH THE EMERG SYS. THE ELEV TRIM WAS INOP, SO BOTH PLTS APPLIED BACK PRESSURE ON THE YOKE TO OVERCOME THE NOSE DWN TENDENCY. AFTER LNDG ABOUT 1/4 OF THE WAY DWN THE RWY, THE CREW TRIED TO USE THE THRUST REVERSERS, BUT THE REVERSERS WERE INOP. SUBSEQUENTLY,THE ACFT CONTD OFF THE SIDE & BEYOND THE END OF THE RWY, HIT A WOODEN BEAM & A SNOWBANK, THEN CAME TO REST IN A DITCH. AN INV REVEALED A SHAFT FAILURE OF THE #2 GEN (STARTER/GEN) & WORN BRUSHES IN THE #1 GEN. WITH TOTAL ELEC FAILURE, THE FLWG WERE ALSO INOP: WING FLAPS, ANTI-SKID, CAPT'S AIRSPEED IND & ALTIMETER, NOSEWHEEL STEERING, COCKPIT LIGHTING.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,260 hours in all; 963 in this make and model; 89 in the last 90 days; 8,021 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,447 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 10, 1986; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 18,300 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Airesearch TFE-731-2-1C (turbofan); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JFK New York NY at 3:00 am
- Destination: LEX Lexington KY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 29, 4,600 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.