What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The Houston flight standards district office received a report indicating that aircraft privacy data omitted, an Embraer 545 model, returned to William p. Hobby airport due to passenger door opened in flight.
On a written statement submitted by the pilot, he stated, “after the passengers were on board privacy data omitted, the SIC flying in the left seat, had secured the door and seeing no cas messages we taxied from signature FBO onto k taxiway and given a right turn onto c taxiway to cross rwy 4 onto z taxiway to hold short 31R then position to 31L line-up and wait.
Clearance for take-off given and 2 mile traffic on final noted by tower and again no cas messages noted. After take-off we were given a left turn to 300 to climb. About 7,000 feet we noticed a pressurization amber indication and very shortly after a red pax cabin door warning. Noticing the door handle sticking out I quickly got out of the right seat to assess the problem and see to the safety of our passengers.
With some down pressure on the door handle I found there was too much pressure present and had decided to return to the cockpit and return to land when the door flew open. I got back into the right seat and took control of the aircraft and my SIC declared an emergency and with ATC assistance returned to Houston Hobby airport without further incidence. After landing taxied to c taxiway and back to the signature FBO ramp. There were met by airport airside and emergency vehicles. Arrangements were made to hanger the aircraft in the corporate hangers at signature.”
An examination of the aircraft revealed substantial damage to the door and some damage to the door frame. The two rotating arms that hinged the door to the aircraft structures were broken. The fuselage had a hole below the door frame. In addition, most of the left engine fan blades had foreign object damages.
A technical representative from the aircraft manufacturer performed and assessment of the damage. A maintenance provider was contracted by the NTSB to remove the door and ship it to the NTSB laboratory in Washington DC. The cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder were removed from the aircraft and shipped to the NTSB for further investigation. NTSB and Embraer still working on finding the cause of this event.
As the FAA filed it
THE HOUSTON FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE RECEIVED A REPORT INDICATING THAT AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AN EMBRAER 545 MODEL, RETURNED TO WILLIAM P. HOBBY AIRPORT DUE TO PASSENGER DOOR OPENED IN FLIGHT.
ON A WRITTEN STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY THE PILOT, HE STATED, “AFTER THE PASSENGERS WERE ON BOARD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, THE SIC FLYING IN THE LEFT SEAT, HAD SECURED THE DOOR AND SEEING NO CAS MESSAGES WE TAXIED FROM SIGNATURE FBO ONTO K TAXIWAY AND GIVEN A RIGHT TURN ONTO C TAXIWAY TO CROSS RWY 4 ONTO Z TAXIWAY TO HOLD SHORT 31R THEN POSITION TO 31L LINE-UP AND WAIT.
CLEARANCE FOR TAKE-OFF GIVEN AND 2 MILE TRAFFIC ON FINAL NOTED BY TOWER AND AGAIN NO CAS MESSAGES NOTED. AFTER TAKE-OFF WE WERE GIVEN A LEFT TURN TO 300 TO CLIMB. ABOUT 7,000 FEET WE NOTICED A PRESSURIZATION AMBER INDICATION AND VERY SHORTLY AFTER A RED PAX CABIN DOOR WARNING. NOTICING THE DOOR HANDLE STICKING OUT I QUICKLY GOT OUT OF THE RIGHT SEAT TO ASSESS THE PROBLEM AND SEE TO THE SAFETY OF OUR PASSENGERS.
WITH SOME DOWN PRESSURE ON THE DOOR HANDLE I FOUND THERE WAS TOO MUCH PRESSURE PRESENT AND HAD DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE COCKPIT AND RETURN TO LAND WHEN THE DOOR FLEW OPEN. I GOT BACK INTO THE RIGHT SEAT AND TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND MY SIC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND WITH ATC ASSISTANCE RETURNED TO HOUSTON HOBBY AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENCE. AFTER LANDING TAXIED TO C TAXIWAY AND BACK TO THE SIGNATURE FBO RAMP. THERE WERE MET BY AIRPORT AIRSIDE AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES. ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE TO HANGER THE AIRCRAFT IN THE CORPORATE HANGERS AT SIGNATURE.”
AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE DOOR AND SOME DAMAGE TO THE DOOR FRAME. THE TWO ROTATING ARMS THAT HINGED THE DOOR TO THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES WERE BROKEN. THE FUSELAGE HAD A HOLE BELOW THE DOOR FRAME. IN ADDITION, MOST OF THE LEFT ENGINE FAN BLADES HAD FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGES.
A TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER PERFORMED AND ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGE. A MAINTENANCE PROVIDER WAS CONTRACTED BY THE NTSB TO REMOVE THE DOOR AND SHIP IT TO THE NTSB LABORATORY IN WASHINGTON DC. THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER AND THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER WERE REMOVED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND SHIPPED TO THE NTSB FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. NTSB AND EMBRAER STILL WORKING ON FINDING THE CAUSE OF THIS EVENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.