On November 15, 1986, a Cessna 310K (registration N6953L) operated by Chappell. Chappell was involved in an aviation accident near Phoenix, AZ. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to properly secure the cabin door, which led to a diversion and a subsequent hard landing that caused substantial damage to the aircraft. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pleasure flight was diverted to Phoenix due to an unsecured door, resulting in a hard three-point landing from approximately 40 feet that caused substantial damage to the aircraft.
What happened
The aircraft was engaged in a pleasure flight when the pilot noticed that the cabin door was not properly secured while en route to the intended destination. To address this issue, the pilot decided to divert to Phoenix. Upon arrival at the airport, the aircraft was observed descending vertically from approximately 40 feet above ground level before executing a hard three-point landing.
The investigation
Initial reports suggested that one of the tires had blown out during the landing. However, further examination revealed that the aircraft had sustained substantial damage overall, indicating that the impact of the hard landing was more severe than initially thought.
Findings
The primary factor contributing to this incident was the improper securing of the cabin door, which necessitated an unplanned diversion. The subsequent hard landing from a low altitude likely resulted in the substantial damage observed.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to properly secure the cabin door, which led to a diversion and a subsequent hard landing that caused substantial damage to the aircraft.