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20131014020749I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 · Bedford, MA · October 14, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
October 14, 2013 · 14:55 local
Place
Bedford, MA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N706DS
Reported as
Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-360-MIA+
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
700 total350 in this make and model69 in the last 90 days
N706DSRegistered now · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40S/N 40.858 · Built 2007Airframe modelDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40Engine modelLycoming IO-360-M1A+Reciprocating

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.

The doors (main canopy and rear passenger door) were opened on the ramp for the removal of passengers and baggage. The pilot stated that he had to quickly shut the main canopy and rear passenger door from the outside due to an approaching helicopter, fearing that the rotorwash would damage them.

Once the helicopter had passed he then re-entered the aircraft, shut and locked the canopy, but stated he forgot about the rear passenger door which had been opened but not closed completely.

During the take off roll, he realized that the door was not completely shut and considered aborting the take off, but since he was not moving very quickly, that the door could be closed and locked from the inside. He stated that he had his wife (passenger) reach back to see if she could push the lever which would finish closing and locking the door; however, she mistakenly pulled the door retaining bracket, which allowed the door to swing open, breaking the attaching hinges. The take off roll was aborted and the tower was notified that the door had departed the aircraft and was laying on the runway.

As the FAA filed it

THE DOORS (MAIN CANOPY AND REAR PASSENGER DOOR) WERE OPENED ON THE RAMP FOR THE REMOVAL OF PASSENGERS AND BAGGAGE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD TO QUICKLY SHUT THE MAIN CANOPY AND REAR PASSENGER DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE DUE TO AN APPROACHING HELICOPTER, FEARING THAT THE ROTORWASH WOULD DAMAGE THEM.

ONCE THE HELICOPTER HAD PASSED HE THEN RE-ENTERED THE AIRCRAFT, SHUT AND LOCKED THE CANOPY, BUT STATED HE FORGOT ABOUT THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR WHICH HAD BEEN OPENED BUT NOT CLOSED COMPLETELY.

DURING THE TAKE OFF ROLL, HE REALIZED THAT THE DOOR WAS NOT COMPLETELY SHUT AND CONSIDERED ABORTING THE TAKE OFF, BUT SINCE HE WAS NOT MOVING VERY QUICKLY, THAT THE DOOR COULD BE CLOSED AND LOCKED FROM THE INSIDE. HE STATED THAT HE HAD HIS WIFE (PASSENGER) REACH BACK TO SEE IF SHE COULD PUSH THE LEVER WHICH WOULD FINISH CLOSING AND LOCKING THE DOOR; HOWEVER, SHE MISTAKENLY PULLED THE DOOR RETAINING BRACKET, WHICH ALLOWED THE DOOR TO SWING OPEN, BREAKING THE ATTACHING HINGES. THE TAKE OFF ROLL WAS ABORTED AND THE TOWER WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE DOOR HAD DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS LAYING ON THE RUNWAY.