What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 04/22/02 a BE-200, N26SJ, departed on a flight from st. paul downtown holman field, Minnesota, at 1715 CDT, enroute to outagamie county regional airport, appleton, Wisconsin. During the flight, at 19,000 feet, they lost the airstair entrance door and lost pressurization. The crew declared an emergency and diverted to chippewa valley regional airport, eau claire, Wisconsin and landed without incident. There were no injuries and only minor aircraft damage. The crew claimed that the airstair entrance door was locked. The airstair entrance door was found approximately 30 NM northwest of eau claire, WI., by a farmer near Hillsdale, WI. We found the door in a fully locked condition, just as the pilot stated.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 04/22/02 A BE-200, N26SJ, DEPARTED ON A FLIGHT FROM ST. PAUL DOWNTOWN HOLMAN FIELD, MINNESOTA, AT 1715 CDT, ENROUTE TO OUTAGAMIE COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT, APPLETON, WISCONSIN. DURING THE FLIGHT, AT 19,000 FEET, THEY LOST THE AIRSTAIR ENTRANCE DOOR AND LOST PRESSURIZATION. THE CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERTED TO CHIPPEWA VALLEY REGIONAL AIRPORT, EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND ONLY MINOR AIRCRAFT DAMAGE. THE CREW CLAIMED THAT THE AIRSTAIR ENTRANCE DOOR WAS LOCKED. THE AIRSTAIR ENTRANCE DOOR WAS FOUND APPROXIMATELY 30 NM NORTHWEST OF EAU CLAIRE, WI., BY A FARMER NEAR HILLSDALE, WI. WE FOUND THE DOOR IN A FULLY LOCKED CONDITION, JUST AS THE PILOT STATED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.