# Accident 20221003021659A: Embraer S A EMB-545, Houston, TX, October 3, 2022

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 3, 2022, 17:40 local time
- Place: Houston, TX
- Airport: William P Hobby
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.6455° N, 95.2784° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.6455&lon=-95.2784&mi=10
- Aircraft: N179SP (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: EMBRAER S A EMB-545
- Reported engine: HONEYWELL AS907-3-1E
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN23LA003](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA003) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20221003021659A

## Narrative

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

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.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN23LA003](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA003), Oct 3, 2022: Embraer S A EMB-545 (N179SP), Houston, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The crew failed to ensure the main entry door was locked before departure. Contributing to the accident was a corroded/jammed door sensor that provided an erroneous locked indication to the crew…

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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