- Date
- October 29, 1997, 15:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Augusta, KS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7505FChampion 7ECA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 26, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971029031149A
- Case key
- 10774
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
failure of the aircraft owner to reinstall the quick release hinge pins/safety pins, and failure of the pilot to notice the missing pins during the aircraft preflight, which resulted in separation of the main entry 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 main entry door separated from the airplane during cruise flight, resulting in substantial damage to the right side of the airplane. No evidence was found to indicate that the safety pin for the quick release hinge pins had been installed. The owner had the door removed from the airplane during the summer and had recently reinstalled it.
Factual narrative
On October 29, 1997, at 1530 central standard time, a Champion 7ECA, N7505F, operated by a commercial pilot experienced a separation of the main entry door during cruise flight 9 miles east of Augusta, Kansas. Substantial damage to the right wing resulted from the door separation. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The original destination for the flight was Wichita, Kansas, but the pilot diverted to Augusta, Kansas, following the door separation. The 14 CFR Part 91 flight originated from Beaumount, Kansas, at 1500 cst.
The airplane was inspected by an Inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration Wichita Flight Standards District Office who reported that the main entry door quick release hinge pins backed out of the hinges, allowing the door to separate from the airplane. The system is designed with a safety pin to secure the hinge pins in place. There was no evidence that the safety pin had been installed. The airplane owner reported that he had the door off of the airplane during the summer and had recently reinstalled it.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7505F
- Reported as
- Champion 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 716
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Joe Roth
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 7K9 · Beaumount, KS
- Destination
- 71K · Wichita, KS
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ICT, 32 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.