What happened
On August 2, 2008, at 0835 UTC, a McDonnell Douglas MD-902, registered OO-NHL, was performing a flight from Lille Hospital, France, to Fourmies, France. While the aircraft was in cruise flight near Fretin, France, the right-hand sliding door separated from the airframe.
During the event, the pilot reported experiencing a violent yaw to the right, which was followed by a descent of the aircraft. Simultaneously, the flight nurse notified the pilot that the right side door had detached.
Weather conditions at the time of the incident were visual meteorological conditions (VMC) with a visibility of 10 statute miles and winds from 225 degrees at 19 knots. There were no injuries to the pilot, doctor, or nurse on board.