20111019024119I

350DL LIFTED FROM THE PLASTER CITY FLY YARD ON A QA/QC FLIGHT, WITH PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AS THE INSPECTOR SEATED AFT OF PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CABIN, AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ACTING AS THE RECORDER SITTING IN THE COPILOT SEAT ON THE LEFT. IT WAS EARLY AFTERNOON, THE WINDS WERE LIGHT, 3-5 KNOTS, WITH NO CEILING OR RESTRICTIONS TO VISIBILITY. THE RIGHT FRONT PILOT DOOR HAD BEEN REMOVED EARLIER, AND THE RIGHT REAR CABIN DOOR HAD BEEN SLID AFT INTO THE OPEN AND LOCKED POSITION. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PROCEEDING DIRECTLY TO THE SUNRISE POWERLINK (SPL) RIGHT OF WAY (ROW), AND SHORTLY INTO THE FLIGHT THE RIGHT REAR SLIDING DOOR, WITHOUT WARNING, DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT BETWEEN SPL TOWER SITES 332 AND 333. THE DOOR WAS NOT BEING OPERATED OR HANDLED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, AND NO SIGNS OF PENDING FAILURE HAD BEEN NOTICED PRIOR TO THE DOOR SEPARATING. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ APPROXIMATED HIS FORWARD SPEED TO BE 60-65 KNOTS, AND HIS FLIGHT PATH SOMEWHERE BETWEEN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AND A SLOW CLIMB OF 200-300 FPM. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SITTING ON THE CABIN FLOOR, LEGS ON THE SKID STEPS (AND SECURED VIA A HARNESS TO THE AIRCRAFT), AND WAS ABLE TO VIEW THE DOOR AS IT FELL AWAY. FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE NO AIRFRAME COMPONENTS WERE STRUCK BY THE DOOR, AS ITS PATH WAS PRIMARILY DOWNWARD AND NOT AFT TOWARDS THE TAIL ROTOR OR UP TOWARDS THE ROTOR BLADES. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ RETURNED TO THE PLASTER CITY FLY YARD, AND A CORPORATE HELICOPTERS' MECHANIC WAS FLOWN OUT TO INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO AN AIRWORTHY STATUS BY THE MECHANIC, AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN FLEW THE AIRCRAFT BACK TO MONTGOMERY FIELD FOR REPAIRS.A PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT'S FLIGHT MANUAL INDICATES THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPEN/CLOSED/REMOVED DOOR CONFIGURATION AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS PERMISSIBLE, AND HIS AIRSPEED WAS LESS THAN THE VNE MANDATED.DAMAGE TO THE DOOR WAS MINOR.