Dassault Falcon 20C, Eagle, Colo., Jan. 8, 2010–The Board ruled that the aborted takeoff accident was caused by the flight crew's improper preflight inspection and failure to remove the main landing gear chock, resulting in damage to and subsequent failure of the main landing gear tire during the takeoff roll. The Mexican-registered twinjet was substantially damaged in the crash.
According to witnesses, before taxiing, the pilot failed to pull the tire chock from the left main gear and the Falcon's engines were heard to "spool up" to a high rpm as the airplane climbed over the chock. While the aircraft was turning to leave the ramp area, the jet's left main tire also rolled over the nosegear chock, which had been removed and left on the ramp. During the departure roll, the left tire blew, and the captain was unable to bring the aircraft to a stop in the distance remaining. The jet continued 400 feet past the departure end of the runway before coming to rest in deep snow. Both landing gear collapsed and the right wing buckled. None of the seven people on board was injured. Investigators found parts of the left tire on the runway displaying what appeared to be a shallow laceration that crossed the tread.