Accident Details
On March 23, 2011, at approximately 2250 eastern daylight time, a Dassault-Breguet Falcon 10 business jet, registration N303FZ, sustained substantial damage during a landing runway excursion at Clark Regional Airport (KJVY) in Sellersburg, Indiana. The aircraft was operated by Aviation Transport Solutions LLC under 14 CFR Part 91 as a business flight. The flight originated from Butler County Regional Airport (KHAO) in Hamilton, Ohio, departing around 2200. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed.
Flight History
The captain, serving as pilot-flying, reported that after departure, the flight circumnavigated numerous thunderstorms that affected the planned route. Approximately 25 nautical miles from the destination, the crew canceled the IFR plan and continued under visual flight rules. Local weather obtained from the airport's automatic weather observing system indicated wind from 310 degrees at 19 knots, gusting to 27 knots. A 5-nautical-mile straight-in final approach was flown to runway 36, which measures 5,500 feet by 100 feet. The landing reference speed (Vref) was set at 110 knots, including a 5-knot gust factor. Upon touchdown on the main landing gear, a wind gust raised the left wing. The captain applied left roll input while simultaneously reducing pitch to lower the nose wheel, but the airplane became airborne and drifted off the runway. A second touchdown occurred in the grassy area adjacent to the runway, where the landing roll concluded without further incident. The captain reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Weather Conditions
The nearest aviation weather observation station with historical data was Bowman Field Airport (KLOU), approximately 10 nautical miles south of the destination. At 2253, the KLOU automated surface observing system reported wind from 310 degrees at 22 knots, gusting 29 knots; visibility 10 miles; sky clear; temperature 14°C; dew point 4°C; altimeter 29.65 inHg. A peak wind of 38 knots from 310 degrees was recorded at 2223.
Damage
Postaccident examination revealed that the right main landing gear had shifted and twisted inside the wheel well, damaging both forward and aft spar assemblies. The aft movement of the nose landing gear damaged the forward pressure bulkhead. Both engines showed evidence of foreign object debris ingestion past their first compressor stages.