- Date
- October 10, 2011, 09:45 local (13:45 UTC)
- Place
- Warrenton, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6324BCessna 182A
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Part(s) separation from AC
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20111010029869A
- Case key
- 82052
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 ensure that the forward door latch was secured prior to initiating the descent.
Findings · 3
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 stated that he was descending the airplane from an altitude of 8,000 feet after releasing skydivers. During the descent, at an altitude of about 3,000 feet, the airplane's door opened and contacted the underside of the wing. The pilot slowed the airplane and attempted to close the door but noticed that the door had warped and that the window was missing. A postflight examination of the airplane revealed that the window had separated from the door in flight and contacted the right horizontal stabilizer, resulting in substantial damage. The door had been modified with a top hinge for skydiving operations and was closed by means of two pin-type latches that were inserted into holes located on both the forward and aft sides of the door frame. The aft pin hole was torn, indicative of its latch pin having been inserted at the time of the door opening; however, the forward pin hole exhibited no damage.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was descending the airplane from an altitude of 8,000 feet after releasing skydivers. During the descent, at an altitude of about 3,000 feet, the airplane's door opened and contacted the underside of the wing. The pilot slowed the airplane and attempted to close the door, but noticed that the door had warped and that the window was missing. A postflight inspection of the airplane revealed that the window had separated from the door in flight and contacted the right horizontal stabilizer, resulting in substantial damage. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the door had been modified with a top hinge for skydiving operations, and was closed by means of two pin-type latches that were inserted into holes located on both fore and aft sides of the door frame. The forward pin hole exhibited no damage, while the aft pin hole was torn, indicative of the latch pin being inserted at the time of the door opening.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6324B
- Reported as
- Cessna 182A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34224
- Airframe hours
- 4,520
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470 SERIES, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving · Part 91
- Operator
- Skydive Maple Grove Inc
- Registered owner
- Aivcon Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 7, 2011
- Departed
- 7VG0 · Warrenton, VA
- Destination
- 7VG0 · Warrenton, VA
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
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 13, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 532 total · 150 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.31 inHg
- Observed at
- IAD, 23 nm away
Docket · 8
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 28, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.2 MB 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.
Other investigations on N6324B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.