Event Summary
On Friday, 19 August 2022, two students from the Finnish Aviation Academy were preparing for a training flight in a Diamond DA42 aircraft near Pori Airport. The flight was intended to be conducted under instrument flight rules in a designated training area east of Pori. The incident occurred when the rear door of the aircraft detached in flight.
Flight Preparation
The students and an instructor completed pre-flight preparations and reviewed the planned exercises. The students then proceeded to the aircraft before the instructor. The flying student occupied the left front seat, and the observing student sat in the right rear seat. The rear student closed the rear door. The cockpit canopy was left open to allow the instructor to enter the right front seat. Upon arriving, the instructor opened the rear door from the outside, placed luggage on the left rear seat, and closed the door with assistance from the rear student, who pushed the door handle to the locked position. The instructor then took the right front seat and fastened the seatbelt. The canopy was closed.
Sequence of Events
The instructor and flying student performed checklist procedures according to standard operating procedures, including verifying that the doors were closed. The engines were started, and the aircraft taxied to the holding point. At the holding point, further checks included confirming the rear door was locked. No warnings were indicated. The flying student departed from runway 12 at 10:10.
While climbing toward the training area, the rear student noticed that the rear door handle was not in the closed position and immediately informed the crew. The instructor asked the rear student to try to push the handle back into the closed position, but the attempt was unsuccessful. The instructor observed from the front seat that the rear door was slightly open at the rear edge. He instructed the flying student to maintain level flight. The instructor and the rear student jointly attempted to close the door but could not. The door then opened fully and detached from the aircraft. The DOOR OPEN text warning appeared on the multifunction display only after the door had detached.
Aftermath and Response
The instructor took control of the aircraft and contacted air traffic control at 10:17, requesting clearance to return to Pori. Air traffic control cleared the aircraft to land on runway 30. The controller inquired about the issue, was informed of the door detachment, and initiated emergency procedures. A call was made to the Pori emergency response center at 10:18, with an estimated landing time of 2–3 minutes. The airport rescue service was alerted via an electronic system. The aircraft landed safely.