Incident Overview
On 19 March 2003, a Europa aircraft registered G-PEGY was departing from Leeds/Bradford Airport for a private flight to Wombleton, North Yorkshire Moors. The aircraft was operated by a single pilot with one passenger on board. The pilot, aged 71, held a National Private Pilot's Licence and had accumulated 1,345 flying hours, including 36 hours on type.
Pre-Takeoff Checks
While holding at the F3 holding point on Taxiway F, the pilot conducted pre-takeoff checks using a newly amended checklist that he had customised from the manufacturer's manual. He normally relied on memory with a mnemonic, but on this occasion he elected to use the checklist because he thought it might be more reliable and considered it good practice.
Takeoff and Door Opening
The aircraft was cleared to line up on Runway 32 and take off. The pilot, seated in the left seat, had purposely left his door not fully closed while taxiing to allow ventilation, noting that the temperature in a Europa rises considerably in bright sunshine. The gull-wing door could be locked with the locking lever in the closed position while the latching bolts rested on the outside of the door frame, creating a narrow gap for air to enter the cockpit.
One or two seconds after becoming airborne, the pilot's door opened fully. The aircraft rolled and yawed to the right, touched down, and clipped a runway edge light as it departed the runway at a 90-degree angle. The aircraft travelled approximately 30 yards through rough grass before stopping. The pilot and passenger vacated normally.
Damage
The incident resulted in damage to the right wheel fairing, brake pipe, right wing, and left door strut mechanism. No injuries were reported.
Pilot's Report
In a frank report, the pilot concluded that the accident was caused by his failure to ensure that the door was fully locked when carrying out the pre-takeoff checks. He commented that this was the first time he had used a checklist in this aircraft rather than memorising the checks. He regarded this as a factor but not an excuse.