What happened
On June 15, 2015, a Xenon 2 RST gyroplane was performing a takeoff from runway 28 at Poznań/Ławica airport (EPPO). During the initial climb at an altitude of approximately 50 ft AGL and a speed of 105 km/h, the right cabin door opened unexpectedly. The pilot attempted to close the door but was unsuccessful. Upon noticing that the window within the open door had cracked, the pilot aborted the climb and declared an emergency landing on runway 28 to the tower controller. The aircraft landed safely without further incident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical state of the cabin door and the pre-flight procedures. It was established that the right door had a poor fitment, with the edge of the door protruding beyond the aerodynamic profile of the cabin since the aircraft's initial delivery. The manufacturer had been notified of this misalignment previously but had dismissed it as an isolated issue that did not affect airworthiness. The pilot reported that while they had taken steps to secure the door from the inside to prevent it from opening, they failed to verify that the locking pins were correctly engaged.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was the inadequate closure of the right cabin door by the pilot prior to takeoff.
- A contributing factor was the poor fitment of the door, which made it difficult to ensure a secure seal.
- The pilot did not confirm the proper position of the locking pins during the pre-flight inspection.
- The aircraft sustained damage to the cabin door and the window.