# Incident 20240821014859I: Liberty Aerospace Incorporated LIBERTY XL-2, Grand Rapids, MI, August 21, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 21, 2024, 14:10 local time
- Place: Grand Rapids, MI
- Airport: Ottawa Executive
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.8172° N, 85.9279° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at OTTAWA EXEC (Z98), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.8172&lon=-85.9279&mi=10
- Aircraft: N591XL, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N591XL) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Liberty Aerospace LIBERTY XL-2 (registry code 5200000, https://openairdocs.org/model/liberty-aerospace-liberty-xl-2) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental IOF-240-B (registry code 17168, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-iof-240-b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: LIBERTY AEROSPACE INCORPORATED LIBERTY XL-2
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 177 total, 32 in this make and model, 32 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240821014859I

## Narrative

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

ON AUGUST 21, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1410 EDT, A LIBERTY AEROSPACE XL2, EXPERIENCE A SEPARATION OF THE LEFT MAIN AIRCRAFT ENTRY DOOR FROM THE AIRFRAME DURING A RETURN TRIP TO OTTAWA EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (Z98). THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY AT Z98 WITH NO REPORTED INJURIES.

ON AUGUST 21, 2024, A FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED FROM THE PAUL C. MILLER AIRPORT IN SPARTA, MI (8D4) TRAVELLING TO Z98 OPERATING IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO RETURN THE AIRCRAFT TO THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THAT RENTS THE AIRPLANE FOR TRAINING PURPOSES. THE PILOT IN COMMAND OF THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED TO 8D4 TO PERFORM AN INSTRUMENT CHECK RIDE, BUT THE PILOT STATED CHECK RIDE WAS “CANCELLED WHILE CHECKING OVER PAPERWORK.” THE PILOT STATED, “ON MY RETURN FLIGHT BACK TO Z98, I NOTICED THAT THE HANDLE/STRAP FOR THE DOOR WAS RUNNING UNDER THE DOOR AND WAS FLAPPING AROUND OUTSIDE IN THE WIND. I TRIED TO PULL IT INSIDE AND COULD NOT. SO, WHILE HOLDING THE HANDLE/STRAP TO KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED I UNLATCHED THE DOOR LOCK SO I COULD PULL THE REST OF THE STRAP BACK INSIDE. THE WIND PULLED THE DOOR PARTIALLY OPEN, AND WHEN I TRIED TO PULL THE DOOR CLOSED AGAIN WITH THE HANDLE/STRAP, THE STRAP BROKE OFF FROM THE DOOR AND THE DOOR WAS TORN OFF OF THE PLANE.” THE PILOT STATED REGAINED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND COMPLETED THE FLIGHT TO Z98 MAKING AN EMERGENCY CALL OVER THE RADIO. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ALSO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE FLIGHT SCHOOL LOCATED AT Z98 OVERHEARD THE CALL AND MET THE AIRCRAFT UPON TOUCHDOWN. THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE AIRCRAFT AND PILOT RETURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO ITS NORMAL STORAGE HANGAR. THE EVENT WAS REPORTED TO THE FAA BY THE KENT COUNTY SHERRIFF’S DEPARTMENT AND THE Z98 AIRPORT MANAGER.

THE KENT COUNTY SHERRIFF’S DEPARTMENT REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT DOOR AND MINOR DEBRIS FROM THE AIRCRAFT TO INCLUDE ENGINE PLUGS, PILOT’S BELONGINGS LANDED ON THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND THE ROOF OF THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE SHERRIFF’S DEPARTMENT REPORTED PEOPLE IN THE AREA, HOWEVER NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED DUE TO FALLING DEBRIS FROM THE AIRCRAFT.

INSPECTION OF BOTH AIRCRAFT MAIN DOORS FOUND BOTH DOORS WERE PLACARDED ADJACENT TO THE DOOR RELEASES STATING, “ CANOPY RELEASE DO NOT OPEN IN FLIGHT.”

DAMAGE IS AS FOLLOWS:

THE AIRCRAFT’S PORT SIDE DOOR ASSEMBLY WAS TORN FROM THE HINGES. NO OTHER DAMAGE FOUND TO THE AIRCRAFT.

THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THEY INTEND TO INSPECT THE AREA ADJACENT TO THE PORT SIDE DOOR HINGES FOR ANY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND REPLACE THE DOOR ASSEMBLY.

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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