What happened
On April 26, 2025, a student pilot was conducting solo circuit training flights at EPRJ. During the flight, immediately before the pilot could report being "with the wind," the left cabin door of the Socata TB-9, registration SP-TUN, opened unexpectedly. This caused the aircraft to tilt and yaw to the left.
The pilot attempted to close the door but was unsuccessful. After notifying air traffic control of the situation via radio, the pilot was cleared to land. The pilot proceeded with the approach to EPRJ while physically holding the door shut with one hand. The aircraft landed safely without further incident, and a subsequent inspection of the aircraft revealed no damage. The door lock mechanism was found to be functioning correctly, and the pilot stated that the door had been closed and the locking mechanism set to the proper position prior to takeoff.
The investigation
The investigation examined the sequence of events, the physical state of the aircraft, and the pilot's pre-flight actions. The investigation focused on determining why the door released during flight despite the pilot's assertion that it had been properly secured before departure.