OpenAirDocs.org

20111002022399I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Cessna 162 · Orlando, FL · October 2, 2011

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 2, 2011 · 09:50 local
Place
Orlando, FL
Airport
Orlando Executive Airport
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N30383
Reported as
Cessna 162
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
2,400 total9 in this make and model87 in the last 90 days
N30383Registered now · Cessna 162S/N 16200118 · Built 2011Airframe modelCessna 162Engine modelContinental O-200 series4 cycle

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.

Aircraft departed, with two pilots aboard, from runway 7 of the Orlando Executive Airport, for an instructional flight, to remain in the traffic pattern, conducting touch and go landings, prior to aircraft being rented to second pilot. After departure, second pilot was in control of aircraft and began climbing to an altitude of 1100 feet while performing a left turn for the downwind leg of the first touch and go landing. Aircraft was wings level at 1100 feet, on the downwind leg, when a loud bang was heard and simultaneously the right entry door popped open and bent rearward. Instructor pilot took controls from second pilot and requested immediate landing from the control tower, which was granted. Instructor pilot entered a base leg for runway 13 and landed aircraft without further incident. No injuries were reported. Post incident investigation revealed that when the right entry door latch was in the latched position, the forward latch mechanism was not in the fully closed position. The extent of the damage to the right entry door made the determination; if the right entry door was secured prior to takeoff or if the right entry door forward latch mechanism failed, virtually impossible to determine as the control rods, within entry door, were broken and the rear door latch was separated from the door. Both pilots indicated that doors were secured and were checked for security by pushing on forward and rearward parts of door prior to takeoff. Inspection of left entry door latch mechanism revealed no discrepancies and operated normally. Latch mechanism has the same basic type of operation that many cars do. When the door is pulled closed the latch is depressed by the door post, releasing a lock allowing the handle to be pushed forward to the latched position. If operating properly, the handle cannot be pushed to the latched position, unless the latches have been engaged by the door posts, which then allows the latch to be secured to the door post. Closer inspection of left entry door latch mechanism revealed that when door is closed, and in the latched position, the latch is being held to the door post only on the very bottom portion of the latch.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT DEPARTED, WITH TWO PILOTS ABOARD, FROM RUNWAY 7 OF THE ORLANDO EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, FOR AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, TO REMAIN IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, CONDUCTING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS, PRIOR TO AIRCRAFT BEING RENTED TO SECOND PILOT. AFTER DEPARTURE, SECOND PILOT WAS IN CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT AND BEGAN CLIMBING TO AN ALTITUDE OF 1100 FEET WHILE PERFORMING A LEFT TURN FOR THE DOWNWIND LEG OF THE FIRST TOUCH AND GO LANDING. AIRCRAFT WAS WINGS LEVEL AT 1100 FEET, ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, WHEN A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD AND SIMULTANEOUSLY THE RIGHT ENTRY DOOR POPPED OPEN AND BENT REARWARD. INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK CONTROLS FROM SECOND PILOT AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE LANDING FROM THE CONTROL TOWER, WHICH WAS GRANTED. INSTRUCTOR PILOT ENTERED A BASE LEG FOR RUNWAY 13 AND LANDED AIRCRAFT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.POST INCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT WHEN THE RIGHT ENTRY DOOR LATCH WAS IN THE LATCHED POSITION, THE FORWARD LATCH MECHANISM WAS NOT IN THE FULLY CLOSED POSITION. THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT ENTRY DOOR MADE THE DETERMINATION; IF THE RIGHT ENTRY DOOR WAS SECURED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF OR IF THE RIGHT ENTRY DOOR FORWARD LATCH MECHANISM FAILED, VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE AS THE CONTROL RODS, WITHIN ENTRY DOOR, WERE BROKEN AND THE REAR DOOR LATCH WAS SEPARATED FROM THE DOOR. BOTH PILOTS INDICATED THAT DOORS WERE SECURED AND WERE CHECKED FOR SECURITY BY PUSHING ON FORWARD AND REARWARD PARTS OF DOOR PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.INSPECTION OF LEFT ENTRY DOOR LATCH MECHANISM REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES AND OPERATED NORMALLY. LATCH MECHANISM HAS THE SAME BASIC TYPE OF OPERATION THAT MANY CARS DO. WHEN THE DOOR IS PULLED CLOSED THE LATCH IS DEPRESSED BY THE DOOR POST, RELEASING A LOCK ALLOWING THE HANDLE TO BE PUSHED FORWARD TO THE LATCHED POSITION. IF OPERATING PROPERLY, THE HANDLE CANNOT BE PUSHED TO THE LATCHED POSITION, UNLESS THE LATCHES HAVE BEEN ENGAGED BY THE DOOR POSTS, WHICH THEN ALLOWS THE LATCH TO BE SECURED TO THE DOOR POST. CLOSER INSPECTION OF LEFT ENTRY DOOR LATCH MECHANISM REVEALED THAT WHEN DOOR IS CLOSED, AND IN THE LATCHED POSITION, THE LATCH IS BEING HELD TO THE DOOR POST ONLY ON THE VERY BOTTOM PORTION OF THE LATCH.