REFLECTOR: Unexpected door opening

[Stockman, Bill]

I can tell you in my friends recent case, he didn't shut the pilot door
all the way so the safety pin didn't engage, not clear if the door
engaged the warning light switch or if it even worked.

 

 

Bill Stockman, Senior Associate

Dayton Aerospace

 

(937) 369-4799 cell

(937) 426-4300 work

bill.stockman at daytonaero.com

________________________________

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Alex Balic
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 4:14 PM
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
Subject: Re: REFLECTOR: Unexpected door opening

 

Has anyone done any research into this situation? Are the pins
detaching, or are the hardpoints pulling out from the fuselage? Or are
the doors just coming unlatched during flight and tearing out? Would be
good to have some data

 

________________________________

From: reflector-bounces at tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-bounces at tvbf.org] On
Behalf Of Al Gietzen
Sent: Monday, June 01, 2009 1:42 PM
To: 'Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list'
Subject: REFLECTOR: Unexpected door opening

 

 

By "we" I assume you had someone sitting in the passenger seat when this
all happened?   What was their version of the story as the door
disappeared, I assume they were buckled in.    

Yes; my good friend, and fellow Velocity builder, was with me.  He was
kind enough to compliment my bringing the plane to a safe landing; and
during the ordeal, was helpful in answering my queries about runway
lengths and call frequencies.  Other than that he hasn't said much; but
would have every right to have been very frightened. He was very helpful
in working with me in the process of recovering the airplane. A greater
friend would be very hard to find.

 

Great job of handling the emergency and "flying the plane."    One of
our local velocitites had the pilot door come open a few months ago
which stayed attached and the plane was almost uncontrollable. 

With that it makes 4 cases that I am aware of.  I am fortunate that the
door departed the plane, but at about 200 mph, that's the likely
outcome.  Also very fortunate that it did not impact the prop.

 

Al

   

 

 

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