What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 12/13/2024 at approximately 0933EST, a 1970 Dehavilland DHC-6-300, being operated by privacy data omitted, a 14 CFR part 135 certficate holder operating a deadhead flight under 14 CFR part 91 rules, experienced damage shortly after takeoff from the patrick leahy Burlington international airport (kbtv) in south Burlington, Vermont, as the result of an aft cabin door inadvertently opening. The aircraft immediately returned to the airport and made a normal landing and taxied to parking under its own power.
The aircraft and two pilot crew (captain and first officer) had completed their initial flight of the day operating under 14 CFR part 135 rules, while transporting cargo for the privacy data omitted from plattsburgh international airport, NY (kpbg) to kbtv. After unloading cargo at kbtv, the first officer stated that she closed both left side cabin doors and then both her and the captain went into the local FBO to warm up while the aircraft was being refueled by ground personnel.
After the aircraft was refueled, both pilots conducted a brief external check to ensure the prop straps and wheel chocks were removed. Both pilots then initiated engine start, taxi, and take-off checklists. Both pilots stated that pre and post take-off was normal with no cockpit caution lights illuminated. During the climb and after passing through approximatley 1000 feet above ground level altitude, the pilots ran their after take-off checklist with no abnormalties noted. Moments after checklist completion and as the aircraft continued to climb, the first officer observed the door open caution light illuminated in the cockpit which she brought to the attention of the captain. A few seconds (3-5) later, the crew heard a loud noise from the aft end of the aircraft, observed that both left hand cabin doors were open and the emergency locator transmitter was transmitting in their headsets. The crew then contacted air traffic personnel and returned to kbtv without further incident. After landing and parking, the crew exited the aircraft without injury.
There were no known malfunctions of cargo door system prior to the event and the last scheduled inspection was completed on 06/28/2024 with no defects noted. Post event cargo door system checks revealed normal operation with no defects noted.
The operator notified the NTSB and FAA immediately and an aircraft damage evaluation ensued. The operator inspected the damage, sent pictures to the NTSB and the resulting assessment was that no substantial aircraft damage occurred. As such, this event is being classified as an incident.
As the FAA filed it
ON 12/13/2024 AT APPROXIMATELY 0933EST, A 1970 DEHAVILLAND DHC-6-300, BEING OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A 14 CFR PART 135 CERTFICATE HOLDER OPERATING A DEADHEAD FLIGHT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91 RULES, EXPERIENCED DAMAGE SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE PATRICK LEAHY BURLINGTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (KBTV) IN SOUTH BURLINGTON, VERMONT, AS THE RESULT OF AN AFT CABIN DOOR INADVERTENTLY OPENING. THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND MADE A NORMAL LANDING AND TAXIED TO PARKING UNDER ITS OWN POWER.
THE AIRCRAFT AND TWO PILOT CREW (CAPTAIN AND FIRST OFFICER) HAD COMPLETED THEIR INITIAL FLIGHT OF THE DAY OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 135 RULES, WHILE TRANSPORTING CARGO FOR THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM PLATTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, NY (KPBG) TO KBTV. AFTER UNLOADING CARGO AT KBTV, THE FIRST OFFICER STATED THAT SHE CLOSED BOTH LEFT SIDE CABIN DOORS AND THEN BOTH HER AND THE CAPTAIN WENT INTO THE LOCAL FBO TO WARM UP WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING REFUELED BY GROUND PERSONNEL.
AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS REFUELED, BOTH PILOTS CONDUCTED A BRIEF EXTERNAL CHECK TO ENSURE THE PROP STRAPS AND WHEEL CHOCKS WERE REMOVED. BOTH PILOTS THEN INITIATED ENGINE START, TAXI, AND TAKE-OFF CHECKLISTS. BOTH PILOTS STATED THAT PRE AND POST TAKE-OFF WAS NORMAL WITH NO COCKPIT CAUTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. DURING THE CLIMB AND AFTER PASSING THROUGH APPROXIMATLEY 1000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALTITUDE, THE PILOTS RAN THEIR AFTER TAKE-OFF CHECKLIST WITH NO ABNORMALTIES NOTED. MOMENTS AFTER CHECKLIST COMPLETION AND AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO CLIMB, THE FIRST OFFICER OBSERVED THE DOOR OPEN CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN THE COCKPIT WHICH SHE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE CAPTAIN. A FEW SECONDS (3-5) LATER, THE CREW HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE AFT END OF THE AIRCRAFT, OBSERVED THAT BOTH LEFT HAND CABIN DOORS WERE OPEN AND THE EMERGENCY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER WAS TRANSMITTING IN THEIR HEADSETS. THE CREW THEN CONTACTED AIR TRAFFIC PERSONNEL AND RETURNED TO KBTV WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER LANDING AND PARKING, THE CREW EXITED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INJURY.
THERE WERE NO KNOWN MALFUNCTIONS OF CARGO DOOR SYSTEM PRIOR TO THE EVENT AND THE LAST SCHEDULED INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON 06/28/2024 WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED. POST EVENT CARGO DOOR SYSTEM CHECKS REVEALED NORMAL OPERATION WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED.
THE OPERATOR NOTIFIED THE NTSB AND FAA IMMEDIATELY AND AN AIRCRAFT DAMAGE EVALUATION ENSUED. THE OPERATOR INSPECTED THE DAMAGE, SENT PICTURES TO THE NTSB AND THE RESULTING ASSESSMENT WAS THAT NO SUBSTANTIAL AIRCRAFT DAMAGE OCCURRED. AS SUCH, THIS EVENT IS BEING CLASSIFIED AS AN INCIDENT.
Other reports on N173GC · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.