# Accident 20170820011679A: Dehavilland DHC-6-300, San Diego, CA, August 20, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 20, 2017, 10:45 local time
- Place: San Diego, CA
- Airport: John Nichol'S Field
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.6334° N, 116.8903° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at JOHN NICHOL'S FLD (0CL3), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.6334&lon=-116.8903&mi=10
- Aircraft: N300DZ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N300DZ-2025-05-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Dehavilland DHC-6-300 (registry code 2802630, https://openairdocs.org/model/dehavilland-dhc-6-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DEHAVILLAND DHC-6-300
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,200 total, 900 in this make and model, 120 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170820011679A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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