- Date
- June 28, 1991, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Addison, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N18989Beech B19
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910628024899A
- Case key
- 23355
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
Entry door opening in flight, inadequate emergency procedures published by the manufacturer, and poor emergency training by the student's instructor. Factors were inadequate design/installation of the door locking mechanism, deteriorated airplane performance, and the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane.
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 student pilot's door opened immediately after takeoff. The takeoff was continued with repeated attempts made to close the door. The air traffic control tower was advised of the situation but an emergency was not declared. While on an extended final approach, which resulted from ATCT instructions, control of the airplane was lost due to the open door. The airplane collided with trees and came to rest in a residential area. The instructor had never demonstrated a door open situation in flight. Beechcraft had issued specific procedures for this emergency in March, 1987, via a safety communique. These procedures were never incorporated into the pilot's operating handbook. The FAA operations inspector, the operator, the flight instructor and the student pilot had no knowledge of the safety communique procedures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N18989
- Reported as
- Beech B19
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- MB-870
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Ari Ben Aviator
- Registered owner
- Ari Ben Aviator
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Airport
- ADS · Addison
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
- 24
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 42 total · 42 in this make and model · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 99 °F, dew point -0 °F
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 N18989 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.