20051116028339I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Cessna 310R · Phoenix, AZ · November 16, 2005

Date: November 16, 2005 · 15:35 local
Place: Phoenix, AZ
Airport: Phoenix-Deer Valley Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N821BT
Reported as: Cessna 310R
People aboard: 5
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 605 total158 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days

N821BTRegistered now · Cessna 310RS/N 310R1298 · Built 1978 Airframe modelCessna 310R Engine modelContinental IO-520 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) Pilot departed dvt on an IFR flight plan. While waiting for departure release from ATC the entrance door was opened for some fresh air. When released for takeoff the door was closed and presumed locked properly. After the aircraft was airborne the door popped open. The passenger next to the door was very excited and the pilot could not get the door closed and was very busy with ATC while trying to fly the IFR departure procedure. The pilot notified ATC that he needed an immediate landing back to the departure airport. He stated that with the passenger being extremely excited he was somewhat distracted. He was at gross weight and decided to fly a little faster on final approach, not being sure what the performance issues involved with the open door. He touched down a little fast and did not apply heavy braking, trying not to lock up the tires. He underestimated his aircraft stopping ability and ran off the end of the runway causing minor damage to his aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT DEPARTED DVT ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. WHILE WAITING FOR DEPARTURE RELEASE FROM ATC THE ENTRANCE DOOR WAS OPENED FOR SOME FRESH AIR. WHEN RELEASED FOR TAKEOFF THE DOOR WAS CLOSED AND PRESUMED LOCKED PROPERLY. AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS AIRBORNE THE DOOR POPPED OPEN. THE PASSENGER NEXT TO THE DOOR WAS VERY EXCITED AND THE PILOT COULD NOT GET THE DOOR CLOSED AND WAS VERY BUSY WITH ATC WHILE TRYING TO FLY THE IFR DEPARTURE PROCEDURE. THE PILOT NOTIFIED ATC THAT HE NEEDED AN IMMEDIATE LANDING BACK TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. HE STATED THAT WITH THE PASSENGER BEING EXTREMELY EXCITED HE WAS SOMEWHAT DISTRACTED. HE WAS AT GROSS WEIGHT AND DECIDED TO FLY A LITTLE FASTER ON FINAL APPROACH, NOT BEING SURE WHAT THE PERFORMANCE ISSUES INVOLVED WITH THE OPEN DOOR. HE TOUCHED DOWN A LITTLE FAST AND DID NOT APPLY HEAVY BRAKING, TRYING NOT TO LOCK UP THE TIRES. HE UNDERESTIMATED HIS AIRCRAFT STOPPING ABILITY AND RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO HIS AIRCRAFT.