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BE99 cruising 12000 ft had the crew hatch cover separate from the aircraft. Request direct vector to gtf and landing uneventful.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 358738 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199701 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bil |
| State Reference | MT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 10500 msl bound upper : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zlc |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Airliner 99 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 144 flight time total : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 358738 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 22000 |
| ASRS Report | 358735 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Crew hatch came off (separated) from aircraft in-flight. Requested and received vectors direct gtf (great falls, mt), descended to 10500 ft MSL. Prior to let down the aircraft was slowed to approach speed and flaps and gear were extended. Operation and control was normal, descent was completed in clean confign and landing was normal and uneventful. When the hatch separated it did not hit the tail at all. It seems that perhaps the hatch lock hooks came unhooked. There is no safety lock on the lock handle. Maybe a safety pin could be installed to prevent any further accidental unlocking. Luckily we were VMC or the -15 degrees C outside air temperature would have been worse. Supplemental information from acn 358735: the latch system had been a constant problem and apparently decided to give up the ghost.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: BE99 CRUISING 12000 FT HAD THE CREW HATCH COVER SEPARATE FROM THE ACFT. REQUEST DIRECT VECTOR TO GTF AND LNDG UNEVENTFUL.
Narrative: CREW HATCH CAME OFF (SEPARATED) FROM ACFT INFLT. REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VECTORS DIRECT GTF (GREAT FALLS, MT), DSNDED TO 10500 FT MSL. PRIOR TO LET DOWN THE ACFT WAS SLOWED TO APCH SPD AND FLAPS AND GEAR WERE EXTENDED. OP AND CTL WAS NORMAL, DSCNT WAS COMPLETED IN CLEAN CONFIGN AND LNDG WAS NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. WHEN THE HATCH SEPARATED IT DID NOT HIT THE TAIL AT ALL. IT SEEMS THAT PERHAPS THE HATCH LOCK HOOKS CAME UNHOOKED. THERE IS NO SAFETY LOCK ON THE LOCK HANDLE. MAYBE A SAFETY PIN COULD BE INSTALLED TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER ACCIDENTAL UNLOCKING. LUCKILY WE WERE VMC OR THE -15 DEGS C OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 358735: THE LATCH SYS HAD BEEN A CONSTANT PROB AND APPARENTLY DECIDED TO GIVE UP THE GHOST.
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.