Piper PA-34-200T Runway Overrun at Tenerife North (EC-DGG)

Incident Overview and Flight Details On Wednesday, 11 February 2004, at 11:00 local time, a Piper PA-34-200T with registration EC-DGG departed runway 12 at Tenerife North Airport (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) bound for La Palma. The aircraft was powered by two Continental TSIO-360-E engines. The flight was a general aviation instruction and proficiency test, with an examiner and a student pilot aboard. The pilot in command was 50 years old, held a commercial pilot license, and had 4,500 total flight hours, including 500 hours on type. ## Sequence of Events During the initial climb, the crew noticed that the right-side door was open. They decided to make an emergency landing on the remaining runway. The aircraft touched down less than 300 meters from the runway end. According to the pilot in command, brakes were applied at the runway threshold, but the aircraft continued past the end and came to a complete stop 1.5 meters from the localizer antennas. ## Injuries and Damage Both occupants were uninjured and were able to leave the aircraft under their own power. The aircraft sustained significant damage to the propellers, both main landing gear legs, and their attachments to the airframe. No other damage was reported. The runway was closed for 11 minutes, from 11:45 to 11:56 local time. ## Investigation Findings Post-incident inspection found the door in perfect condition and closing correctly, with no evidence of mechanical failure. The most probable cause of the door opening was that it had not been properly closed on the ground. Radar data indicated the aircraft had reached approximately 500 feet altitude before the emergency landing decision and was traveling at 60 knots when it left the runway. The flight manual's emergency procedures for an open door during takeoff recommended continuing the flight within a speed range of 85 to 107 knots rather than attempting an immediate landing. ## Probable Cause The investigation concluded that the original cause was the door not being properly closed on the ground before takeoff. The crew's decision to land after takeoff was deemed inadequate given the speed and altitude achieved, which prevented the aircraft from stopping within the remaining runway length.