- Date
- September 15, 2006, 13:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Bloomington, IN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6500VColumbia 350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Indianapolis, IN FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060915026939A
- Case key
- 64620
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 pilot did not comply with the pilot operating handbook warning when he intentionally opened the cabin door during flight.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The left main entry door departed the airplane when the pilot opened the door during flight. The pilot reported that after departure he noticed a carpet strap was hanging out of the left door and flapping against the airplane. He turned on the autopilot and decided to open the door in order to pull the strap inside. He reported he was unable to hang on to the door and it departed the airplane. The pilot reported he needed stitches because the door was ripped from his hand. The pilot contacted the departure airport stating he was returning to land, but then decided to continue the flight to an airport which was approximately 60 statute miles away where there was a certified Columbia service center. The airplane was landed without incident. Examination of the airplane revealed the door contacted and punctured the right wing. It then contacted and punctured the right horizontal stabilizer. The emergency procedures section in the pilot operating handbook (POH) contains a warning which states, "Do not open the cabin doors in flight. The air loads placed on the doors in flight will damage them and can cause separation from the airplane. A damaged or separated door will alter the flight characteristics of the airplane and possibly damage other control surfaces." The POH also states the following warning in the Doors section of the Description of the Airplane and Systems section: "If the red "Door Open" annunciator light is on or the aural warning is playing, then one or more doors are not properly secured, and the airplane is unsafe to fly."
Factual narrative
The left main entry door departed the airplane when the pilot opened the door during flight. The pilot reported that after departure he noticed a carpet strap was hanging out of the left door and flapping against the airplane. He turned on the autopilot and decided to open the door in order to pull the strap inside. He reported he was unable to hang on to the door and it departed the airplane. The pilot reported he needed stitches because the door was ripped from his hand. The pilot contacted the departure airport stating he was returning to land, but then decided to continue the flight to an airport which was approximately 60 statute miles away where there was a certified Columbia service center. The airplane was landed without incident. Examination of the airplane revealed the door contacted and punctured the right wing. It then contacted and punctured the right horizontal stabilizer. The emergency procedures section in the pilot operating handbook (POH) contains a warning which states, "Do not open the cabin doors in flight. The air loads placed on the doors in flight will damage them and can cause separation from the airplane. A damaged or separated door will alter the flight characteristics of the airplane and possibly damage other control surfaces." The POH also states the following warning in the Doors section of the Description of the Airplane and Systems section: "If the red "Door Open" annunciator light is on or the aural warning is playing, then one or more doors are not properly secured, and the airplane is unsafe to fly."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6500V
- Reported as
- Columbia 350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 42033
- Engine
- Continental IO-550-N, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mark T. Prall
- Registered owner
- Prall Equipment Leasing
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- BMG · Bloomington, IN
- Destination
- EVV · Evansville, IN
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 204 total · 84 in this make and model · 102 as pilot in command · 42 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- BMG
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.