# Incident 20030724020139I: Amtr LIBERTYXL2, Stone Mountain, GA, July 24, 2003

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 24, 2003, 14:00 local time
- Place: Stone Mountain, GA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.8042° N, 84.1714° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Stone Mountain, GA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.8042&lon=-84.1714&mi=10
- Aircraft: N203XL, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N203XL-2007-10-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: STW Composites LIBERTY XL-2 (registry code 05611JA, https://openairdocs.org/model/stw-composites-liberty-xl-2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AMTR LIBERTYXL2
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 800 total, 60 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030724020139I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) THE EXPERIMENTAL CREW TRAINING/MARKET SURVEY AIRCRAFT, AN STW COMPOSITES (LIBERTY AEROSPACE) LIBERTY XL-2 PROTOTYPE, EXPERIENCED AN INADVERTENT LEFT COCKPIT DOOR OPENING DURING A MARKET SURVEY DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT NEAR STONE MOUNTAIN, GA. THE GULL-WING STYLE DOOR AND THE ADJACENT FUSELAGE SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE. THE PIC, A COMMERCIAL PILOT WHO WAS SEATED IN THE RIGHT SEAT, REPORTED THE FOLLOWING: A PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMER/PRIVATE PILOT WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE FROM THE LEFT SEAT PRIOR TO THE MISHAP. UPON REACHING LEVEL CRUISE ALTITUDE, THE PRIVATE PILOT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE LEFT DOOR WS NOT FULLY LATCHED BASED ON WIND NOISE COMING FROM THE DOOR. THE PIC TOOK OVER THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AND THE PRIVATE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO ENSURE THAT THE DOOR WAS PROPERLY LATCHED. THE DOOR SUDDENLY FLEW OPEN, AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO YAW AND LOSE ALTITUDE. ABOUT A MINUTE LATER, THE PLEXIGLASS WINDOW BLEW OUT OF THE DOOR FRAME AND THE AIRCRAFT BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE. THE PIC SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED THE AIRPLANE BACK AT THE FLIGHT ORIGINATION AIRPORT (PDK) WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

## Other reports on N203XL (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20030323008799I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030323008799I), Mar 23, 2003: Amtr LIBERTYXL2 (N203XL), Melbourne, FL, Minor damage. (-23) Aircraft was taxiing to runway 27R. Right brake failed. The aircraft weather vaned to the left side of taxi way k, down embankment into drainage ditch.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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