# Accident 19980828022289A: Amd FALCON20, El Paso, TX, August 28, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 28, 1998, 06:50 local time - Place: El Paso, TX - Airport: El Paso International - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: To Aborted (Fixed Wing) - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: DKAA - Location: 31.8005° N, 106.3591° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.8005&lon=-106.3591&mi=10 - Aircraft: N126R, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N126R-2017-07-19) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Dassault-Breguet FALCON 20 (registry code 2730103, https://openairdocs.org/model/dassault-breguet-falcon-20) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: GE CF700 series (registry code 30010, https://openairdocs.org/engine/ge-cf700-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: AMD FALCON20 - Reported engine: GE CF7002D2 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 4,000 total, 2,000 in this make and model, 240 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98FA376](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA376) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980828022289A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT ABORTED TAKEOFF WENT THROUGH A FENCE, CROSSED A ROAD, STRUCK A CAR, AND WENT THROUGH ANOTHER FENCE, (-23) ON AUGUST 28, 1998 AT 0650 MDT A N126R, A FALCON MODEL DA-20, OPERATED BY RELIANT AIRLINES, AIR CARRIER CERTIFICATE NUMBER DKAA, LOCATED IN YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN, OVERRAN THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 22 AT EL PASO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EL PASO, TX, DURING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF ON A CARGO FLIGHT, STRIKING TWO CARS ON AN INTERSECTING ROAD. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, THE TWO CREW MEMBERS WERE UNINJURED AND ONE DRIVER OF AN AUTO RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES. BOTH THE PIC AND F/O HOLD ATP CERTIFICATES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT EL PASO ON 08/28/98 AT 0649 MDT. (.19) ON AUGUST 28, 1998, AT 0650 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME (MDT), A DASSAULT FALCON DA-20 TWIN TURBO FAN JET, N126R, OWNED AND OPERATED BY RELIANT AIRLINES OF YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT OVERRAN THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 22 FOLLOWING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF FROM EL PASO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, EL PASO, TEXAS. THE CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER, WHO WERE BO TH AIRLINE TRANSPORT RATED PILOTS, RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. ONE PERSON, WHO WAS IN A MOVING CAR THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK AFTER IT DEPARTED THE RUNWAY, HAD SERIOUS INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 135 NON-SCHEDULED DOMESTIC CARGO FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT'S INTENDED DESTINATION WAS MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED AT EL PASO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FROM ADDISON, TEXAS AT 0525 MDT. FREIGHT WAS LOADED BY OASIS FIXED BASE OPERATION (FBO) IN ELPASO. THE SHIPPING ORDER GIVEN TO THE FLIGHT CREW SHOWED 118 BOXES OF SEATBELTS THAT IN TOTAL WEIGHED 4,500 POUNDS. THE CREW CONSULTED PERFORMANCE CHARTS AND DETERMINED THAT THEY WOULD BE WITHIN THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT PARAMETERS (28,200 POUNDS) FOR A "ZERO" FLAP TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 22. THE CALCULATED TAKEOFF "V1" AIRSPEED WAS 141 KNOTS. AFTER CARGO LOADING AND PRE-FIGHT CHECKS, THE CREW TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT FOR ABOUT 2 MILES FROM THE FBO TO THE RUNWAY. THE FIRST OFFICER, WHO OCCUPIED THE RIGHT SEAT, WAS THE FLYING PILOT. IN AN INTERVIEW, THE CREW STATED THAT WHEN THEY WERE CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF, THEY TAXIED TO THE END OF THE 11 ,009 FOOT RUNWAY, HELD THE BRAKES, RAN THE ENGINES TO FULL POWER (1.51 ENGINE PRESSURE RATIO [EPR]), AND RELEASED THE BRAKES. AT APPROXIMATELY 120 KNOTS, THE CREW HEARD A NOISE, FELT VIBRATIONS, AND THE CAPTAIN CALLED FOR AN ABORTED TAKEOFF. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT HE SAW THE #2 ENGINE "ROLL BACK" [HE NOTED THAT BOTH THE EPR AND N1 GAUGES MOVED, BUT DID NOT QUANTIFY THE READINGS]. THE CREW FURTHER STATED THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD ENOUGH RUNWAY TO STOP, BUT REPORTED THAT APPLICATION OF BOTH PILOT AND CO-PILOT BRAKE PEDALS WERE NOT EFFECTIVELY SLOWING THE AIRCRAFT. THE CAPTAIN STATED THAT HE MOVED BOTH ENGINE THROTTLE LEVERS TO THE "FLIGHT IDLE" POSITION DURING THE ABORT. HE SAID THAT HE MOVED THE LEVERS TO THE "IDLE CUT OFF" POSITION WHEN HE REALIZED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TO OVERRUN THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT OVERRAN THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, OVER THE 800 FOOT PAVED STOPWAY, ACCROSS APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FEET OF SANDY TERRAIN, THROUGH A HEAVY DUTY STEEL FENCE (AIRPORT PERIMETER), OVER EMBEDDED TRAIN RAILS (BENDING THE RAILS), THROUGH A CONCRETE CURB (FRACTURING THE CURB), ACROSS A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY IMPACTING SEVERAL MOVING CARS, THROUGH A SECOND CONCRETE CURB (FRACTURING THE CURB), AND THROUGH ANOTHER HEAVY STEEL FENCE, BEFORE COMING TO A STOP. THE APPROXIMATE DISTANCE FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY TO WHERE THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED WAS MEASURED AT 2,010 FEET. REMNANTS OF A BLOWN TIRE WERE FOUND ON THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 7,200 FEET FROM WHERE THE AIRCRAFT HAD COMMENCED ITS TAKEOFF ROLL. THE RUBBER DEBRIS CONSTITUTED ABOUT 90% OF A TIRE'S "RECAP" MATERIAL. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL, OUTBOARD TIRE, WAS FOUND TO BE SEVERELY SHREDDED WITH THE "RECAP" MATERIAL MISSING. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE CARGO WAS SURVEYED AND WEIGHED. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-ONE BOXES OF SEATBELTS WERE FOUND TO BE ONBOARD. THE BOXES IN TOTAL WEIGHED 5,610 POUNDS. THIS WOULD HAVE PUT THE AIRCRAFT ABOUT 942 POUNDS OVER THE MAXIMUM GROSS TAKE OFF WEIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS DISPATCHED AS A CARGO FLIGHT TO PICK UP A LOAD OF 118 BOXES OF AUTOMOTIVE SEATBELTS. AFTER REFUELING AND LOADING THE CARGO ON BOARD, THE FLIGHT CREW TAXIED TO RUNWAY 22 FOR A NO-FLAP TAKEOFF, WHICH CALLED FOR A V1 SPEED OF 141 KNOTS. THE FIRST OFFICER WAS THE FLYING PILOT FOR T HIS LEG OF THE FLIGHT. THE CREW REPORTED THAT THE INITIAL TAKEOFF ROLL FROM THE 11,009 FOOT RUNWAY WAS NORMAL. AT APPROXIMATELY 120 KNOTS, THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTED HEARING A LOUD BANG FOLLOWED BY A VIBRATION. THE CAPTAIN CALLED FOR THE FIRST OFFICER TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. THE CAPTAIN LATER STATED THAT HE BELIEVED HE SAW THE #2 ENGINE "ROLL BACK." THE FLIGHT CREW REPORTED THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT EFFECTIVE IN SLOWING THE AIRPLANE. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS GOING WEST ON THE RUNWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED WHEN IT "WENT UP TO TWO FEET, THEN CAME BACK DOWN." ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRPLANE "EXIT OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY" AND AFTER ABOUT "SEVENTY-FIVE TO ONE HUNDRED FEET, THE FRONT WHEELS LIFTED OFF THE GROUND ABOUT TEN FEET." THE AIRPLANE OVERRAN THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, WENT THROUGH THE AIRPORT'S CHAIN LINK PERIMETER FENCE, ACROSS A 4-LANE HIGHWAY, COLLIDED WITH 3 VEHICLES ON THE ROADWAY, AND WENT THROUGH A SECOND CHAIN LINK FENCE, BEFORE COMING TO REST. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ON ITS BELLY, 2,010 FEET FROM THE DEPARTURE THRESHOLD OF RUNWAY 22. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FLIGHT CREW WAS PROVIDED AN INACCURATE WEIGHT FOR THE CARGO, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND TO BE 942 POUNDS OVER THE MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED TO BE 5,614 FEET AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. BOTH CREWMEMBERS WERE CURRENT AND PROPERLY CERTIFIED; HOWEVER, THE CAPTAIN HAD UPGRADED TO HIS PRESENT POSITION TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, AND THE FIRST OFFICER HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 123.8 HOURS IN THE FALCON 20 AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. BOTH ENGINES WERE OPERATED IN A TEST CELL AND PERFORMED WITHIN LIMITS. ABOUT 90% OF THE RIGHT OUTBOARD MAIN LANDING GEAR TIRE'S RETREAD WAS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 7,200 FEET FROM WHERE THE AIRCRAFT HAD COMMENCED ITS TAKEOFF ROLL. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT SINCE THE AIRCRAFT WAS OVER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT, THE LONG TAXI TO THE RUNWAY COULD HAVE RESULTED IN THE BRAKES AND TIRES HEATING MORE THAN NORMAL. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW98FA376](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA376), Aug 28, 1998: Dassault Falcon DA-20 (N126R), El Paso, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The captain's decision to abort the takeoff at an airspeed above V1, which resulted in a runway overrun. Contributing factors were: the loading of an excessive amout of cargo by the shipper which… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.