What happened
On 28 April 2008, a Turbolet Let L 410 UVP-E, registration OK-RDA, was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Belfast City Airport to Ronaldsway, Isle of Man. Shortly after the aircraft departed Runway 22, the right nose baggage door opened while the plane was traversing the south-west corner of Strangford Loch.
Upon the door opening, the crew reduced the aircraft's speed to 120 kt. Because the aircraft remained stable without significant vibration, the crew elected to proceed to their destination without declaring an emergency. During the flight, the co-pilot monitored the open door. At 0923 hrs, the crew notified Aldergrove approach that the door was open but stated that the flight could continue at the reduced speed as the aircraft was unpressurised. The flight concluded with an uneventful landing at Ronaldsway.
Following the landing, an inspection was requested. While the airport fire service found no debris on the runway, the airport manager observed a holdall hanging from the aircraft. One piece of baggage was later confirmed missing.
The investigation
Investigators examined the locking mechanism of the nose baggage door. An inspection by the operator's maintenance engineer found no defects in the door or its locking device. However, photographic evidence from the arrival at Ronaldsway revealed that although the locking device appeared to be in the locked position from the exterior, the hook on the mechanism had failed to engage with the catch.
Regarding ground procedures, the investigation noted that the airline's standard practice involves loading baggage through the left door, leaving the responsibility for checking the nose compartment doors to the co-pilot. The commander suggested the door may have been opened at Belfast City Airport, possibly due to a misplacement of items by ground handling staff.
Findings
- The right nose baggage door opened during flight because the hook on the locking mechanism had not engaged with the catch.
- Although the locking device appeared locked from the outside, the mechanism was not properly secured.
- A physical indicator modification exists to alert crews to improper locking, but this had not been installed on OK-RDA.
- The incident resulted in the loss of one piece of baggage.