Though the flight tests on Falcon 10 01 went without a hitch, on October 31, 1972, at the end of a lateral trim test required for certification, lateral stresses led to a structural break, resulting in the loss of the aircraft and the death of both crew members, Alain Trétout and Jacques Ladeux.
The future of the program was not jeopardized but certification was delayed to September 1973, the time needed to modify the aircraft. It was finally manufactured as an international collaboration under the overall responsibility of Mérignac: the wing by CASA in Spain, the tail units by SACA in Italy, the engine nacelles by Rohr in the US, the fuselage by SOCATA, SOGERMA, Potez, Latécoère and Reims-Aviation. The servo-control unit was retained by Dassault-Breguet. The assembly line, first set up at Mérignac, was transferred to Istres after the production of the Mercure ended in 1975.
Falcon 100
The Falcon 100, a Falcon 10 with an exterior-access luggage hold and an improved cabin, was the first certified business aircraft featuring EFIS-technology and color screens in the place of electromechanical cockpit instruments.
A total 226 Falcon 10s and Falcon 100s were delivered to customers including well-known orchestra conductor Herbert von Karajan.