Incident Overview
On February 26, 2025, at 17:00 UTC, a Cessna 310Q aircraft, registration LV-JZD, experienced an in-flight incident near San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro province, Argentina. The flight had departed from Aeropuerto Internacional Teniente Luis Candelaria at 16:15 UTC, destined for Aeródromo de Puerto Deseado in Santa Cruz province. The aircraft was in cruise phase at an altitude of 8,000 feet, approximately 24 nautical miles from the departure airport, when the entry door partially opened, estimated at about 2 centimeters.
Flight Details
The crew noticed that the door handle was not locked. Attempts to close and secure the door were unsuccessful, and the opening increased. The crew declared an emergency and decided to return to the departure airport. The return flight was completed without further issues. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed at the time.
Post-Flight Inspection
After landing, the pilot conducted a visual inspection of the door latch mechanism and found no apparent damage. Prior to returning the aircraft to service, maintenance personnel performed an inspection and verified the door locking system in accordance with the aircraft's service manual.
The aircraft sustained no damage, and no injuries were reported.