# Incident 20260228001549I: Gippsland GA-8, Bethel, AK, February 28, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 28, 2026, 18:00 local time
- Place: Bethel, AK
- Airport: Bethel
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: ENHA
- Location: 60.7922° N, 161.7558° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Bethel, AK, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=60.7922&lon=-161.7558&mi=10
- Aircraft: N578GV, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N578GV) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Gippsland GA-8 (registry code 3900102, https://openairdocs.org/model/gippsland-ga-8) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (registry code 41663, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-k1a5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GIPPSLAND GA-8
- People aboard: 6
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,640 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260228001549I

## Narrative

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

THE AIRCRAFT CARGO DOOR UNLATCHED AND OPENED IN CRUISE FLIGHT.  A PASSENGER ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR BUT WAS UNABLE TO. THE FLIGHT CONTINUED AT CRUISE SPEED AND THE DOOR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AFTER THE CENTER RAIL BENT UP TO ALLOW THE DOOR TO SLIDE PAST AFT STOP.  THE AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY WITH NO INJURIES AND NO ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE CONSISTED OF DEFORMED UPPER AND LOWER REAR DOOR RAILS, AND BENT CENTER RAIL. THE CARGO DOOR HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED.  OPERATION AT SUSTAINED CRUISE SPEED WITH AN UNLATCHED DOOR CONTRIBUTED TO THE DOOR FULLY OPENING AND DEPARTING THE AIRCRAFT.  THE CAUSE OF THE DOOR UNLATCHING HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED.

GA-8 FLIGHT MANUAL SUPPLEMENT – INFLIGHT REAR DOOR OPEN OPERATIONS LIMITATIONS:  WHEN OPENING OR CLOSING THE DOOR: 1.REDUCE SPEED TO 80 KIAS OR BELOW.  2. FLY STRAIGHT AND LEVEL.  3. OPEN OR CLOSE DOOR FULLY (NEVER FLY FOR EXTENDED PERIODS WITH DOOR PARTIALLY OPEN).

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.