What happened
On February 11, 2004, a Piper PA-34-200T, registration EC-DGG, departed from Tenerife Norte Airport for a flight to La Palma. The flight was being conducted as a skill test for a student pilot to obtain commercial pilot, instrument, and multi-engine piston ratings, with an examiner on board.
During the initial climb, the crew noticed that the right-side door of the aircraft was open. The crew decided to perform an emergency landing on the remaining portion of the runway. After reaching an altitude of approximately 500 feet, the aircraft descended to land less than 300 meters from the end of the runway. Upon reaching the end of the runway, the pilot applied the brakes, but the aircraft could not be stopped within the remaining pavement and exited the runway, coming to a halt 1.5 meters from the localizer antennas.
Both occupants were uninjured and were able to exit the aircraft without assistance. The aircraft sustained significant damage to the propellers, the main landing gear legs, and the gear attachment points to the airframe. The runway was closed for approximately 11 minutes during the incident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the cause of the door opening and the decision-making process regarding the emergency landing. Post-incident inspections of the EC-DGT revealed that the door was in perfect working condition and closed correctly. No mechanical failure was found that would explain the door opening during takeoff.
Investigators analyzed the flight path using radar data, which showed the aircraft was traveling at 60 knots when it left the runway. Analysis of the runway marks indicated that heavy braking only occurred in the final 50 meters of the pavement. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's flight manual, which specifies that if a door opens during takeoff, the pilot should continue normal flight and return to land, or even attempt to close the door in flight, rather than performing an immediate descent.
Findings
- The primary cause of the door opening was that the door was not properly closed on the ground prior to takeoff.
- The crew's decision to perform an immediate emergency landing was inadequate given the aircraft's altitude and speed, which left insufficient runway length to stop.
- The aircraft's flight manual procedures for an open door during takeoff were not followed, as the manual allows for continued flight to land or an attempt to close the door in the air.