Incident
On 5 March 1998, a Reims Cessna F406, registration PH-FWD, experienced a door detachment while on a positioning flight from Glasgow to Edinburgh Airport. The aircraft was manufactured in 1986 and powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-112 turboprop engines. The crew consisted of two pilots; no passengers were on board. No injuries were reported.
Sequence of Events
About 10 minutes into the flight, at an altitude of 4,000 feet, the 'door unlocked' caption illuminated on the warning panel. The handling pilot reduced speed to approximately 160 knots while the other crew member went aft to visually inspect the door. He found that all handles and latches were correctly stowed. Approximately 2 minutes later, the upper door opened suddenly, followed about 30 seconds later by the lower door, which broke away from its hinges in the slipstream. The lower door section has not been recovered at the time of report preparation.
Despite the door loss, the aircraft handled normally, and the flight continued to Edinburgh. Air Traffic Control was informed of the event. The aircraft landed without further incident.
Pilot's Statement
The pilot-in-command stated that the door closing procedures were correctly followed prior to the flight, but commented that "the lock pins must have not locked properly."
Aircraft and Crew Information
The commander held a Dutch Commercial Pilot's Licence, was 31 years old, and had a total flying experience of 3,000 hours, including 400 hours on type. His flying time in the last 90 days was 250 hours, and in the last 28 days, 75 hours.