Pilot of an amateur built glasair ii on an IFR flight declared an emergency and diverted to land at ...

Attributes
ACN	448736
Time
Date	199909
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : ihd.vortac
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Experimental
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 920 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	448736
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : door came off inflt other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

This emergency situation occurred while at cruise at 10000 ft on an IFR flight plan from jst to cgi. My wife, the only passenger in our 2 seat experimental aircraft, noticed that the pilot side, gull wing style door, was ajar. The latch was in the closed position. The locking pin on the back side of the door was extended but not engaged into the receiving hole in the plane. The front locking pin was engaged. I attempted to fully close the door. While attempting to close the door, the front locking pin became disengaged, the door flew open and totally departed the aircraft. Although this aircraft is approved for flight without doors, the pilot (I) feared that the tail section or a control surface may have been damaged by the departing door. I declared an emergency. ZOB directed us to the nearest airport (2g3, connellsville, PA). Center instructed me to 'close' on the ground and say if there were any injuries. The plane flew normally from 10000 ft to the airport and we landed normally without any further problems. Immediately after landing I contacted the local FSS (altoona), closed the flight plan, said that there were no injuries and asked if they would contact ZOB and tell them we were safely on the ground. FSS asked for a local phone number, so I gave them the FBO's. I then thoroughly inspected the aircraft and found no damage to anything except that the door was missing. After about 1/2 hour, I decided to move the plane to the washington county airport (afj) which is 30 mi away. I knew that the plane was approved for flight without doors, and I also knew that the plane flew normally after the door departed. Afj is where the builder, and original owner of the plane, is located and I knew hangar space would be available. The aircraft is now hangared there and I am making arrangements with a local a&P to replace the door. In retrospect, I should have landed the plane before attempting to fully close the door. I feel that declaring the emergency and moving the aircraft were the safest things to do.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN AMATEUR BUILT GLASAIR II ON AN IFR FLT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST ARPT WHEN ONE OF THE CABIN GULL WING TYPE DOORS CAME LOOSE AND FELL OFF AT 10000 FT.

Narrative: THIS EMER SIT OCCURRED WHILE AT CRUISE AT 10000 FT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM JST TO CGI. MY WIFE, THE ONLY PAX IN OUR 2 SEAT EXPERIMENTAL ACFT, NOTICED THAT THE PLT SIDE, GULL WING STYLE DOOR, WAS AJAR. THE LATCH WAS IN THE CLOSED POS. THE LOCKING PIN ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE DOOR WAS EXTENDED BUT NOT ENGAGED INTO THE RECEIVING HOLE IN THE PLANE. THE FRONT LOCKING PIN WAS ENGAGED. I ATTEMPTED TO FULLY CLOSE THE DOOR. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE DOOR, THE FRONT LOCKING PIN BECAME DISENGAGED, THE DOOR FLEW OPEN AND TOTALLY DEPARTED THE ACFT. ALTHOUGH THIS ACFT IS APPROVED FOR FLT WITHOUT DOORS, THE PLT (I) FEARED THAT THE TAIL SECTION OR A CTL SURFACE MAY HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY THE DEPARTING DOOR. I DECLARED AN EMER. ZOB DIRECTED US TO THE NEAREST ARPT (2G3, CONNELLSVILLE, PA). CTR INSTRUCTED ME TO 'CLOSE' ON THE GND AND SAY IF THERE WERE ANY INJURIES. THE PLANE FLEW NORMALLY FROM 10000 FT TO THE ARPT AND WE LANDED NORMALLY WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBS. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG I CONTACTED THE LCL FSS (ALTOONA), CLOSED THE FLT PLAN, SAID THAT THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD CONTACT ZOB AND TELL THEM WE WERE SAFELY ON THE GND. FSS ASKED FOR A LCL PHONE NUMBER, SO I GAVE THEM THE FBO'S. I THEN THOROUGHLY INSPECTED THE ACFT AND FOUND NO DAMAGE TO ANYTHING EXCEPT THAT THE DOOR WAS MISSING. AFTER ABOUT 1/2 HR, I DECIDED TO MOVE THE PLANE TO THE WASHINGTON COUNTY ARPT (AFJ) WHICH IS 30 MI AWAY. I KNEW THAT THE PLANE WAS APPROVED FOR FLT WITHOUT DOORS, AND I ALSO KNEW THAT THE PLANE FLEW NORMALLY AFTER THE DOOR DEPARTED. AFJ IS WHERE THE BUILDER, AND ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE PLANE, IS LOCATED AND I KNEW HANGAR SPACE WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE ACFT IS NOW HANGARED THERE AND I AM MAKING ARRANGEMENTS WITH A LCL A&P TO REPLACE THE DOOR. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE LANDED THE PLANE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO FULLY CLOSE THE DOOR. I FEEL THAT DECLARING THE EMER AND MOVING THE ACFT WERE THE SAFEST THINGS TO DO.

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 amateur built glasair ii on an IFR flight declared an emergency and diverted to land at the nearest airport when one of the cabin gull wing type doors came loose and fell off at 10000 ft.