20030706013569I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Aronca 15AC · Kodiak, AL · July 6, 2003

Date: July 6, 2003 · 17:00 local
Place: Kodiak, AL
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N1188H
Reported as: Aronca 15AC
Reported engine: Lycoming O360A1A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 125 total30 in the last 90 days

N1188HRegistered now · Aeronca 15ACS/N 15AC-47 Airframe modelAeronca 15AC Engine modelContinental C145 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) At about 5 pm Sunday July 6, 2003 the pilot departed trident basin northbound with one passenger. After takeoff at about 250 ft. he noticed airflow from the rear area of the pilots door, which had not latched properly. He continued to climb to 500 ft. and turned back to trident basin to land. When the pilot attempted to relatch the door the wind resistance over came his grip and the door departed the aircraft landing in a trailer park. The door did not hit anything on the aircraft or the ground when it departed and the pilot landed safely at trident basin.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AT ABOUT 5 PM SUNDAY JULY 6, 2003 THE PILOT DEPARTED TRIDENT BASIN NORTHBOUND WITH ONE PASSENGER. AFTER TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 250 FT. HE NOTICED AIRFLOW FROM THE REAR AREA OF THE PILOTS DOOR, WHICH HAD NOT LATCHED PROPERLY. HE CONTINUED TO CLIMB TO 500 FT. AND TURNED BACK TO TRIDENT BASIN TO LAND. WHEN THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RELATCH THE DOOR THE WIND RESISTANCE OVER CAME HIS GRIP AND THE DOOR DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT LANDING IN A TRAILER PARK. THE DOOR DID NOT HIT ANYTHING ON THE AIRCRAFT OR THE GROUND WHEN IT DEPARTED AND THE PILOT LANDED SAFELY AT TRIDENT BASIN.