Introduction
On 5 July 2013 at 1130 UTC, a Europa aircraft (registration G-OURO, serial number PFA 247-12522) experienced a door detachment during climb at Turweston Airfield, Buckinghamshire. The flight was a private operation with one pilot and one passenger on board. Neither occupant was injured. The aircraft sustained damage to the detached door and superficial damage to the left wing trailing edge.
Flight Details
The pilot, aged 56, held a Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 261 total flying hours, of which 17 were on the Europa type. In the preceding 90 days, he had flown 8 hours, and in the last 28 days, 4 hours.
Door Detachment
The gull-wing doors were closed during pre-flight preparation. However, the pilot reported that he did not turn around to check that the rear securing pin was properly engaged to ensure door locking. Nothing unusual was noticed during takeoff. When the aircraft reached a height of approximately 300 ft, the pilot's door opened and, after about four seconds, detached from the aircraft. As the door separated, it struck the port wing trailing edge, causing superficial damage.
Landing
The pilot transmitted a 'PAN PAN' call and returned to Turweston for a normal landing.
Cause Attribution
The pilot attributed the loss of the door to his failure to carry out a visual check for correct engagement of the rear locking pin.