20210611008539I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Diamond Aircraft Ind DA42MNG · Livermore, CA · June 11, 2021

Date
June 11, 2021 · 10:17 local
Place
Livermore, CA
Airport
Livermore
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N640SH
Reported as
Diamond Aircraft Ind DA42MNG
Reported engine
AUSTRO E4 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,000 total400 in this make and model

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.

Pilot did not secure the aft passenger door prior to takeoff. The primary door latch was not secured and the secondary "safety" door latch was sticking and not engaging properly. There are two small carbon fiber type hinges made specifically to break off at low airspeed. Thus minimizing damage to composite structure. The door came open during takeoff ground roll breaking the two hinge points . The door fell off onto runway. No other damage to airframe or tail was found. Door open warning system was found to be functioning.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DID NOT SECURE THE AFT PASSENGER DOOR PRIOR TO TAKEOFF. THE PRIMARY DOOR LATCH WAS NOT SECURED AND THE SECONDARY "SAFETY" DOOR LATCH WAS STICKING AND NOT ENGAGING PROPERLY.THERE ARE TWO SMALL CARBON FIBER TYPE HINGES MADE SPECIFICALLY TO BREAK OFF AT LOW AIRSPEED. THUS MINIMIZING DAMAGE TO COMPOSITE STRUCTURE. THE DOOR CAME OPEN DURING TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL BREAKING THE TWO HINGE POINTS . THE DOOR FELL OFF ONTO RUNWAY. NO OTHER DAMAGE TO AIRFRAME OR TAIL WAS FOUND. DOOR OPEN WARNING SYSTEM WAS FOUND TO BE FUNCTIONING.