Pilot of an small transport atx helicopter operated aircraft with an unauthorized temporary repair t...

Attributes
ACN	256901
Time
Date	199311
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 0r3 airport : or3
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 6450 flight time type : 2850
ASRS Report	256901
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	257246
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Aircraft was offshore at EI384. As customer went to get in the aircraft the left front door was caught by the wind and slammed against the stop, breaking lower hinge from the door. Called lake charles for guidance. Director of maintenance said as long as it was secure, tape it and fly in. I placed the passenger in the right rear seat and flew the aircraft into lft and dropped off the passenger, then I flew to new iberia base. Had mechanics inspect. Said it was ok to ferry to icy (to change out with another aircraft). Lch said fly to icy to change out aircraft which I did. At icy the bad door was taken off by me and placed on the other aircraft by me to help the mechanic change components. I do not recall latching the inside locking lever. The mechanic signed off all the components and I departed back to new iberia base -- approximately 5 mins after takeoff a loud 'pop' was experienced. Found door had exited aircraft. Slowed and circled to try to find door. Was just past sunset XB07 at this time -- XB25 -- could not see door. Flew to new iberia. This occurred probably because I did not verify the latch was locked and should have let the mechanic do the entire procedure. It was late in the day and I still had an hour and a half to drive. The other factor was that the aircraft did not have a company continuance of ferry or ferry permit on board the aircraft to be filled out. Supplemental information from acn 257246: doors were swapped due to lower hinge being separated from door assembly. I was swapping radio equipment from aircraft to aircraft. Pilot swapped doors. I did all the necessary paperwork, but did not check door installation. Aircraft left intercoastal city, la, for new iberia, la, company base for maintenance. En route door departed aircraft. Factors for mishap was PIC in a hurry and rushing me, the mechanic. Other factors are that pilot left a maintenance base where repairs could have been made. FAA is investigating incident as of this date.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT ATX HELI OPERATED ACFT WITH AN UNAUTH TEMPORARY REPAIR TO THE CABIN DOOR AND DID NOT INSTALL REPLACEMENT DOOR PROPERLY, RESULTING IN IT SEPARATING FROM THE ACFT ON A SUBSEQUENT FLT.

Narrative: ACFT WAS OFFSHORE AT EI384. AS CUSTOMER WENT TO GET IN THE ACFT THE L FRONT DOOR WAS CAUGHT BY THE WIND AND SLAMMED AGAINST THE STOP, BREAKING LOWER HINGE FROM THE DOOR. CALLED LAKE CHARLES FOR GUIDANCE. DIRECTOR OF MAINT SAID AS LONG AS IT WAS SECURE, TAPE IT AND FLY IN. I PLACED THE PAX IN THE R REAR SEAT AND FLEW THE ACFT INTO LFT AND DROPPED OFF THE PAX, THEN I FLEW TO NEW IBERIA BASE. HAD MECHS INSPECT. SAID IT WAS OK TO FERRY TO ICY (TO CHANGE OUT WITH ANOTHER ACFT). LCH SAID FLY TO ICY TO CHANGE OUT ACFT WHICH I DID. AT ICY THE BAD DOOR WAS TAKEN OFF BY ME AND PLACED ON THE OTHER ACFT BY ME TO HELP THE MECH CHANGE COMPONENTS. I DO NOT RECALL LATCHING THE INSIDE LOCKING LEVER. THE MECH SIGNED OFF ALL THE COMPONENTS AND I DEPARTED BACK TO NEW IBERIA BASE -- APPROX 5 MINS AFTER TKOF A LOUD 'POP' WAS EXPERIENCED. FOUND DOOR HAD EXITED ACFT. SLOWED AND CIRCLED TO TRY TO FIND DOOR. WAS JUST PAST SUNSET XB07 AT THIS TIME -- XB25 -- COULD NOT SEE DOOR. FLEW TO NEW IBERIA. THIS OCCURRED PROBABLY BECAUSE I DID NOT VERIFY THE LATCH WAS LOCKED AND SHOULD HAVE LET THE MECH DO THE ENTIRE PROC. IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY AND I STILL HAD AN HR AND A HALF TO DRIVE. THE OTHER FACTOR WAS THAT THE ACFT DID NOT HAVE A COMPANY CONTINUANCE OF FERRY OR FERRY PERMIT ON BOARD THE ACFT TO BE FILLED OUT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 257246: DOORS WERE SWAPPED DUE TO LOWER HINGE BEING SEPARATED FROM DOOR ASSEMBLY. I WAS SWAPPING RADIO EQUIP FROM ACFT TO ACFT. PLT SWAPPED DOORS. I DID ALL THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK, BUT DID NOT CHK DOOR INSTALLATION. ACFT LEFT INTERCOASTAL CITY, LA, FOR NEW IBERIA, LA, COMPANY BASE FOR MAINT. ENRTE DOOR DEPARTED ACFT. FACTORS FOR MISHAP WAS PIC IN A HURRY AND RUSHING ME, THE MECH. OTHER FACTORS ARE THAT PLT LEFT A MAINT BASE WHERE REPAIRS COULD HAVE BEEN MADE. FAA IS INVESTIGATING INCIDENT AS OF THIS DATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Pilot of an small transport atx helicopter operated aircraft with an unauthorized temporary repair to the cabin door and did not install replacement door properly, resulting in it separating from the aircraft on a subsequent flight.