# Incident 20190401002339I: Piper AEROSTAR 600, Fargo, ND, April 1, 2019

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 1, 2019, 08:40 local time
- Place: Fargo, ND
- Airport: Hector International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: CSJA
- Location: 46.9206° N, 96.8157° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at HECTOR INTL (FAR), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.9206&lon=-96.8157&mi=10
- Aircraft: N49MG, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N49MG) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper AEROSTAR 600 (registry code 7106001, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-aerostar-600) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER AEROSTAR 600
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,295 total, 61 in this make and model, 309 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190401002339I

## Narrative

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

NARRATIVE FROM PILOT: ON APRIL 1ST, 2019 I, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DECLARED AN EMERGENCY ENROUTE FROM KMOT TO KANE DUE TO AN OPEN DOOR AND PARTIAL AMPUTATION OF A LIMB.

TO START, I WAS ON THE LAST LEG OF THE DAY. I HAD DEPARTED AKRON, OHIO THE NIGHT PRIOR AT APPROXIMATELY 0000EST. MY ROUTE WAS KCAK-KANE-KFAR-KBIS-KMOT-KANE. I WAS HAULING RADIOACTIVE MEDICINE THROUGH THE NIGHT AND WAS RETURNING BACK TO BASE WITH JUST EMPTY CARTRIDGES WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.

AT APPROXIMATELY 0840CST AT 5000FT FLYING SE BOUND AT 211KTS GS FROM KMOT-KANE I FELT AS THOUGH MORE AIR THAN NORMAL WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE MIDDLE SEAM OF THE ENTRANCE DOOR. I TRIED TO PLUG IT, BUT IT DIDN?T SEEM TO DO THE JOB, SO I INTENDED TO MAKE SURE THE DOOR WAS FULLY SHUT. WHILE I HAD DONE THIS DURING MY PRE TAKEOFF CHECK, I FELT AS THOUGH MORE AIR MAY HAVE BEEN COMING THROUGH THAN AT THE START OF THE FLIGHT. AT THIS POINT IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND NO MORE THAN A NUISANCE AS IT WAS MAKING IT COLD.

I NEVER HAD ANY INTENT ON REOPENING THE DOOR TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE ONLY INTENT WAS TO MAKE SURE THE DOOR WAS FULLY SECURED. THE AEROSTAR UPPER DOOR IS OPERATED BY A HORSE SHOE STYLE HANDLE THAT FITS STREAMLINE INTO THE DOOR. TO OPERATE THE DOOR YOU STICK YOUR FINGER INTO THE CUTOUT IN THE DOOR FOR THE HANDLE AND PULL IT OUT SO THAT IT MAY THEN BE TURNED CLOCKWISE OR COUNTER-CLOCKWISE TO OPEN OR SHUT THE DOOR.

I AT 0838CST LIFTED THE HANDLE OUT OF THE CUTOUT. I THEN TURNED THE HANDLE EVER SO SLIGHTLY COUNTERCLOCKWISE, NOT TO OPEN THE DOOR, BUT TO ENSURE THE HANDLE WAS IN A NEUTRAL POSITION SO THAT I MAY FORCIBLY PULL THE DOOR INWARD AND TWIST IT CLOCKWISE TO HOPEFULLY SEAL THE DOOR MORE TIGHTLY.

BY THE HANDLE MOVING EVEN SLIGHTLY COUNTER-CLOCKWISE IT WAS ENOUGH TO UNDUE THE PIN. THIS ALLOWED AIR TO GET UNDER THE DOOR AT 211KTS TO RIP THE DOOR UPWARD WITH MY LEFT HAND ATTACHED.

ALL IN ALL, I HAD LOST 1/3 OF MY MIDDLE FINGER AND A SMALL AMPUTATION TO THE THUMB THAT MAKES UP THE PAD. I WAS ADMITTED OVERNIGHT TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE A SURGERY WAS PERFORMED TO AMPUTATE MORE OF MY MIDDLE FINGER SINCE 80% OF UPPER BONE WAS MISSING AND REMAINING 20% WAS CRUSHED BEYOND REPAIR. ANOTHER SMALL AMPUTATION WAS ALSO DONE ON FLESH OF THUMB TO CLEAN IT UP. I WAS ALSO TREATED FOR MAJOR BRUISING ON LEFT LEG DUE TO DOOR SWINGING BACK AND FORTH BANGING ON IT.

## Other reports on N49MG (1)

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

- [Incident 20041117028599I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20041117028599I), Nov 17, 2004: Piper PA60600 (N49MG), Selingsgrove, PA, Minor damage. (-23) Aircraft in cruise flight @ 6,000' altitude. Encountered some turbulence and noticed the door warning light came on. Pilot grabbed handle to ensure door…

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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