What happened
A Dassault-Breguet Falcon 20E was conducting an unscheduled cargo charter from Detroit Willow Run, Michigan, to Peterborough, Ontario, at night under instrument meteorological conditions. After an initial unsuccessful approach, the flight crew attempted a second approach to runway 09. During this second attempt, the aircraft touched down near the runway midpoint, prompting the captain to abort the landing.
Instead of following the previously briefed missed approach procedure, the captain initiated a left visual circuit. As the aircraft transitioned onto the final leg of this circuit, the approach became unstable. The captain applied full power to execute an overshoot; however, the aircraft pitched nose-down and banked left. The aircraft struck a tree line and traveled through a ploughed field before coming to rest approximately 2000 feet from the runway threshold. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, though there were no serious injuries to the two crew members.
The investigation
The investigation established that the second approach was not stabilized and the aircraft was not properly positioned for a safe landing. The crew had deviated from company standard operating procedures by attempting a landing while the aircraft was not in a position to land safely. Furthermore, following the aborted landing, the crew did not execute the published missed approach as briefed, but instead performed a visual circling maneuver.
Investigators also noted a breakdown in crew coordination. The first officer did not challenge the captain's decision to deviate from the briefed procedure or his instruction to descend further when the PAPI indicated the aircraft was too low. Additionally, a significant discrepancy was found in the altimeter settings between the two pilots.
Findings
- The captain's decision to continue the second approach was contrary to company SOPs and regulations because the approach was unstable.
- The crew failed to follow the briefed missed approach procedure after the aborted landing, opting for a visual circuit instead.
- The pilot lost situational awareness during the overshoot, likely due to a somatogravic illusion caused by acceleration forces during the go-around.
- Contributing factors included a lack of crew coordination, inadequate monitoring of flight instruments, and operating in dark, instrument meteorological conditions with limited visual cues.