What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 1715 PDT on October 23, 2009, Socata TB-200 N3952N operated by the Edwards Afb aero club sustained substantial damage during a hard landing on runway 24 at kedw. The pilot in command was a newly certificated pilot with approximately 88 hours total time and approximately 2 hours in type. Before the flight he obtained a standard weather briefing via duats and then filed a VFR flight plan with afss. His planned destination was ktsp in tehachapi, CA. The pilot stated in an interview on October 27, 2009, that he conducted a preflight walk around inspection of the aircraft per the TB-200 pilots operating handbook. Edwards aero club checklists where used for the before start and before takeoff checks. These checks included visually ensuring the main cabin door wwas closed and latched. When asked if he had physically checked the security of the door prior to takeoff he replied that he had. The pilot then proceeded to make a normal take off from runway 24. Shortly after rotation at approximately 50 ft. AGL the main cabin door swung open. The pilot stated that he was unable to reach the door handle to close it so he elected to land back on the remaining runway. Due to the position of the sun obscuring his vision and the distraction of the open door, the pilot made a hard landing on runway 24. The airframe sustained substantial damage including a bent wing spar and engine mount.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 1715 PDT ON OCTOBER 23, 2009, SOCATA TB-200 N3952N OPERATED BY THE EDWARDS AFB AERO CLUB SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A HARD LANDING ON RUNWAY 24 AT KEDW. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS A NEWLY CERTIFICATED PILOT WITH APPROXIMATELY 88 HOURS TOTAL TIME AND APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS IN TYPE. BEFORE THE FLIGHT HE OBTAINED A STANDARD WEATHER BRIEFING VIA DUATS AND THEN FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WITH AFSS. HIS PLANNED DESTINATION WAS KTSP IN TEHACHAPI, CA. THE PILOT STATED IN AN INTERVIEW ON OCTOBER 27, 2009, THAT HE CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT WALK AROUND INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT PER THE TB-200 PILOTS OPERATING HANDBOOK. EDWARDS AERO CLUB CHECKLISTS WHERE USED FOR THE BEFORE START AND BEFORE TAKEOFF CHECKS. THESE CHECKS INCLUDED VISUALLY ENSURING THE MAIN CABIN DOOR WWAS CLOSED AND LATCHED. WHEN ASKED IF HE HAD PHYSICALLY CHECKED THE SECURITY OF THE DOOR PRIOR TO TAKEOFF HE REPLIED THAT HE HAD. THE PILOT THEN PROCEEDED TO MAKE A NORMAL TAKE OFF FROM RUNWAY 24. SHORTLY AFTER ROTATION AT APPROXIMATELY 50 FT. AGL THE MAIN CABIN DOOR SWUNG OPEN. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE DOOR HANDLE TO CLOSE IT SO HE ELECTED TO LAND BACK ON THE REMAINING RUNWAY. DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE SUN OBSCURING HIS VISION AND THE DISTRACTION OF THE OPEN DOOR, THE PILOT MADE A HARD LANDING ON RUNWAY 24. THE AIRFRAME SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE INCLUDING A BENT WING SPAR AND ENGINE MOUNT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.