What happened
On 12 February 2009, a Marcel Dassault/Bréguet Aviation Falcon 10, registered as VP-BAF, departed from Vienna under instrument flight rules for a private flight to Samedan. The flight was operated with two crew members and one passenger on board. During the transit, the flight plan was transitioned from instrument flight rules to visual flight rules.
Prior to arrival, the crew received notification from the Samedan airport flight information service officer regarding ongoing snow removal operations on the runway, which was expected to cause a brief delay. Following a period of approximately 15 minutes, the aircraft commenced its approach to the runway.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft's right wing made contact with the left side of the runway surface. The landing gear made contact with the ground in sequence, first the right and then the left main gear. The aircraft then drifted toward the left side of the runway, where the left wing tip struck a snowbank. This impact caused the aircraft to rotate anti-clockwise, leading to a collision with a frozen snowbank measuring roughly four metres in height. The force of the impact caused the airframe to separate into two distinct sections. The accident resulted in two fatalities among the crew and one serious injury to the passenger. The aircraft was a total loss, though no fire occurred following the impact.
Findings
- The aircraft's right wing scraped the runway surface during the initial landing phase.
- Contact with a frozen snowbank caused the aircraft to rotate and ultimately break apart.