Incident Summary
On 14 September 1999 at 1020z, a REIMS F406 aircraft registered ZS-OEE was on a commercial flight from Eros, Namibia to Rand Airport. While on a left base leg for runway 35 at Rand Airport, the aircraft encountered a serious incident involving the rear door. The pilot was the sole occupant and landed safely, with no injuries reported.
Sequence of Events
Approximately 50 nautical miles from Rand Airport, the door unsafe annunciation light illuminated. The pilot inspected both front and rear doors but found no apparent defect. Later during the flight, the upper rear door opened unexpectedly. The pilot reduced airspeed to 120 knots, which seemed to control the situation. During the approach on the base leg for runway 35, the aircraft encountered turbulent conditions, causing the lower rear door to open. The door then separated from the aircraft at its hinges and began flapping in the slipstream, impacting the fuselage multiple times. The stay cable attaching the door to the aircraft eventually failed, and the door fell onto a street in a residential area. The pilot continued the approach and landed safely.
Investigation Findings
The investigation revealed that the door could be closed without the closing mechanism being in the over-center condition. The door closing system was found to be outside specified tolerances, with wear and tear detected in the mechanism.
Probable Cause
It could not be determined with certainty if the door was not properly closed or if the out-of-rigging condition of the door closing mechanism caused the door to open during the flight.