- Date
- July 23, 2009, 12:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bismarck, ND
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N405DDRaytheon C90A
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 19, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090723020189A
- Case key
- 74387
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The cabin entry door inadvertently opening during initial climb.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot had the copilot close the cabin entry door, which later came open while the airplane climbed through 500 feet above ground level after takeoff. The pilot executed a return to the departure airport where the airplane was landed without further incident. The door remained attached at the hinge and about half of the door skin was pulled away resulting in damage to the airplane pressure vessel. The pilot stated that the CABIN DOOR annunciator was never illuminated. The operator reported that all the door latches were in the extended positions after the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot had the copilot close the cabin entry door, which later came open while the airplane was climbing through 500 feet above ground level after takeoff. The pilot executed a return to the departure airport where the airplane was landed without further incident. The door remained attached at the hinge and about half of the door skin was pulled away resulting in substantial damage to the airplane pressure vessel. The pilot stated that the CABIN DOOR annunciator was never illuminated. The operator reported that all the door latches were in the extended positions after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N405DD
- Reported as
- Raytheon C90A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- LJ1748
- Airframe hours
- 1,037
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-21, 550 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- UND Aerospace Foundation
- Registered owner
- UND Aerospace Foundation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · April 20, 2009
- Departed
- BIS · Bismarck, ND
- Destination
- GFK · Grand Forks, ND
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BIS · Bismarck Municipal Airport, runway 31, 8,794 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 27, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,843 total · 56 in this make and model · 2,367 as pilot in command · 118 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 9 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 20, 2008
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- BIS
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 28, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 618 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.