# Incident 20240919014699I: Piper AEROSTAR 600, Hamilton Canada, September 19, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 19, 2024, 16:30 local time
- Place: Hamilton Canada
- Airport: Hamilton/John C. Munro Int'L
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: CSJA
- Aircraft: N52MG, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N52MG) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper AEROSTAR 600 (registry code 7106001, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-aerostar-600) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER AEROSTAR 600
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 1,547 total, 145 in this make and model, 194 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240919014699I

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT ENTERED THE RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT AND CLOSED THE TOP HATCH OF THE DOOR TO PREPARE FOR TAKEOFF, THE TOP HALF WAS LEFT OPEN DURING TAXI TO ALLOW MORE AIRFLOW AND A COOLER CABIN. AFTER SHUTTING THE DOOR THERE WAS NO “DOOR UNSAFE” ANNUNCIATOR ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 12 AND CLIMBED STRAIGHT OUT. AT APPROXIMATELY 2,500 FEET AND 2 MILES OFF OF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY THE REAR PASSENGER TAPPED THE PILOT ON THE SHOULDER INDICATING IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE BACK HALF OF THE DOOR. THE PILOT LOOKED DOWN AND PLACED HIS HAND IN THE AREA OF THE DOOR, AT WHICH POINT THE TOP HALF OF THE DOOR ABRUPTLY SWUNG OPEN AND DISLODGED ITSELF FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT'S ARM CAME OUT OF THE PLANE WITH IT; HOWEVER, HE WAS QUICKLY ABLE TO PULL IT BACK IN WITHOUT ANY INJURY. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND MADE A RIGHT TURN TO ENTER A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 12 WHERE THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SEVERAL MINUTES LATER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT, OR PASSENGERS, AND AFTER AN INSPECTION BY THE FIRE CREW ON TAXIWAY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE PILOT TAXIED BACK TO HAMILTON JETPORT.

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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