# Incident 20181226020629I: Chaudoin George S RV-10A, Portsmouth, NH, December 26, 2018

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 26, 2018, 10:00 local time
- Place: Portsmouth, NH
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.0606° N, 70.7803° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Portsmouth, NH, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.0606&lon=-70.7803&mi=10
- Aircraft: N710GC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N710GC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Chaudoin George S RV-10A (registry code 05617VM, https://openairdocs.org/model/chaudoin-george-s-rv-10a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CHAUDOIN GEORGE S RV-10A
- Reported engine: AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 17,000 total, 277 in this make and model
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181226020629I

## Narrative

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

ON 12/26/2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 1000L N710GC WAS PREFLIGHTED FOR A LOCAL DAY VFR SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT.

THE PIC WAS^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ATP ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.  LAST PC 8/12/2018.  TOTAL FLIGHT TIME 17,000HRS. TOTAL RV-10 FLIGHT TIME 277HRS.

START AND TAXI WERE NORMAL.  ALL CHECKLISTS WERE COMPLETED, AND AN ENGINE RUN-UP WAS COMPLETED PRIOR TO DEPARTING FROM KPSM RUNWAY 34 AT APPROXIMATELY 1030L.  PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED FOR A LEFT TURN OUT.  FLIGHT FOLLOWING WAS NOT REQUESTED.  SHORTLY BEFORE REACHING THE UPWIND NUMBERS, A LEFT TURN WAS INITIATED AT APPROXIMATELY 800 AGL TO A MORE WESTERLY DIRECTION AND THE PLANE WAS TRANSITIONED FROM TAKEOFF TO CLIMB POWER.  REACHING 1500 MSL THE PLANE WAS CONFIGURED FOR CRUISE USING APPROXIMATELY 50% POWER.  LIGHT TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF SLOWING FURTHER.  AT 1,500 MSL AND 135KTS INDICATED AIRSPEED, THE LEFT DOOR BEGAN TO OPEN.  AN UN-SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO FORCE THE DOOR CLOSED WAS MADE.  HOWEVER ONCE THE DOOR REACHED APPROXIMATELY 1/3 OPEN, IT COULD NO LONGER BE CONTROLLED AND DEPARTED AIRCRAFT.  THE EXACT LOCATION IS UNCLEAR BUT SUSPECT OVER OR NEAR THE SHORELINE OF GREAT BAY.

A TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT WAS INITIATED.  WITH THE DOOR OFF, THE WIND NOISE MADE RADIO COMMUNICATION IMPOSSIBLE.  7600 WAS SET IN THE TRANSPONDER AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN TO ENTER A MODIFIED LEFT BASE FOR RUNWAY 34.  THE LANDING WAS UNEVENTFULL.  AFTER LANDING, RADIO COMMUNICATIONS WERE ONCE AGAIN POSSIBLE.  THE TOWER WAS INFORMED AND TAXI CLEARANCE TO THE T-HANGARS WAS RECEIVED.

## Other reports on N710GC (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20161004019849A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20161004019849A), Oct 4, 2016: Chaudoin George S RV-10A (N710GC), Plymouth, NH, Substantial damage. This aircraft accident had not been reported to the NTSB at the time of its discovery by this inspector on 10/20/2016. The pilot entered downwind to fly a…

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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