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A lear 45 was dispatched in non compliance with the underwing fueling door unlatched which caused the door to depart the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 544673 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200204 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Learjet 45 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 544673 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airport Company Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Company |
| Situations | |
| Publication | FUELING PROC MANUAL |
Narrative:
On apr/xa/02 at XA45, we departed ZZZ en route to pwk. 5-10 mins after departure we leveled at 6000 ft and heard a loud vibration. We pulled the power back and the vibration went away. I initially thought that the fuel door had come open. The other crew member mentioned maybe a wheel still spinning down. We continued to pwk. Upon landing, we found that the fuel door had ripped off and put a 1 inch by 1 inch hole in the side of the plane. The hole was about 1/2 inch deep. We canceled the next portion of our trip, and the company sent another plane for us to use. My first concern is the loss of the fuel door. This is the second door I have had torn off in 2 weeks. Our company has lost at least 5. This is a real safety concern not only for myself, but the people on the ground where the door lands. My second concern is something I would like to get an interpretation on. Is the airplane legal to fly with the door missing and a hole in the side? My director of operations and chief pilot flew the plane to ict for repairs. The only documentation to authority/authorized this was a letter from a field representative (I enclosed the letter). Does this letter make the plane legal? We had an a&P put tape over the hole and where the fuel door should be, per the letter. I would like to know if this is now a legal airplane or does it require a ferry permit? Does the field representative have the authority/authorized to say the airplane can fly?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A LEAR 45 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE UNDERWING FUELING DOOR UNLATCHED WHICH CAUSED THE DOOR TO DEPART THE ACFT.
Narrative: ON APR/XA/02 AT XA45, WE DEPARTED ZZZ ENRTE TO PWK. 5-10 MINS AFTER DEP WE LEVELED AT 6000 FT AND HEARD A LOUD VIBRATION. WE PULLED THE PWR BACK AND THE VIBRATION WENT AWAY. I INITIALLY THOUGHT THAT THE FUEL DOOR HAD COME OPEN. THE OTHER CREW MEMBER MENTIONED MAYBE A WHEEL STILL SPINNING DOWN. WE CONTINUED TO PWK. UPON LNDG, WE FOUND THAT THE FUEL DOOR HAD RIPPED OFF AND PUT A 1 INCH BY 1 INCH HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE PLANE. THE HOLE WAS ABOUT 1/2 INCH DEEP. WE CANCELED THE NEXT PORTION OF OUR TRIP, AND THE COMPANY SENT ANOTHER PLANE FOR US TO USE. MY FIRST CONCERN IS THE LOSS OF THE FUEL DOOR. THIS IS THE SECOND DOOR I HAVE HAD TORN OFF IN 2 WKS. OUR COMPANY HAS LOST AT LEAST 5. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY CONCERN NOT ONLY FOR MYSELF, BUT THE PEOPLE ON THE GND WHERE THE DOOR LANDS. MY SECOND CONCERN IS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO GET AN INTERP ON. IS THE AIRPLANE LEGAL TO FLY WITH THE DOOR MISSING AND A HOLE IN THE SIDE? MY DIRECTOR OF OPS AND CHIEF PLT FLEW THE PLANE TO ICT FOR REPAIRS. THE ONLY DOCUMENTATION TO AUTH THIS WAS A LETTER FROM A FIELD REPRESENTATIVE (I ENCLOSED THE LETTER). DOES THIS LETTER MAKE THE PLANE LEGAL? WE HAD AN A&P PUT TAPE OVER THE HOLE AND WHERE THE FUEL DOOR SHOULD BE, PER THE LETTER. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS NOW A LEGAL AIRPLANE OR DOES IT REQUIRE A FERRY PERMIT? DOES THE FIELD REPRESENTATIVE HAVE THE AUTH TO SAY THE AIRPLANE CAN FLY?
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.