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20170820011679A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Dehavilland DHC-6-300 · San Diego, CA · August 20, 2017

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Date
August 20, 2017 · 10:45 local
Place
San Diego, CA
Airport
John Nichol'S Field
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N300DZ
Reported as
Dehavilland DHC-6-300
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
3,200 total900 in this make and model120 in the last 90 days
N300DZRegistration cancelled May 30, 2025 · Dehavilland DHC-6-300S/N 644 · Built 1979Airframe modelDehavilland DHC-6-300Engine modelPratt & Whitney PT6A seriesTurbo-prop

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.

After departing John Nichol'S Field(0CL3), the airman thought he experienced a bird strike. The airman notified ATC and diverted to the nearest airport which was brown field. (Ksdm) after further investigation it was determined that what the airman assumed was a bird strike was actually the front left cargo door detaching from the aircraft. The cargo door traveled from left to right over the nose eventually striking the propeller on the right engine.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER DEPARTING JOHN NICHOL'S FIELD(0CL3), THE AIRMAN THOUGHT HE EXPERIENCED A BIRD STRIKE. THE AIRMAN NOTIFIED ATC AND DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT WHICH WAS BROWN FIELD. (KSDM) AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WHAT THE AIRMAN ASSUMED WAS A BIRD STRIKE WAS ACTUALLY THE FRONT LEFT CARGO DOOR DETACHING FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE CARGO DOOR TRAVELED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT OVER THE NOSE EVENTUALLY STRIKING THE PROPELLER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE.