Pilot Debrief

Beech 65 near Colby, KS — 2019-02-22

Final reportCEN19LA086
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Date
2019-02-22
Location
Colby, KS, USA
Airport
CBK
Aircraft
Beech 65
Registration
N62069
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to properly secure the crew hatch door before takeoff, which resulted in his distraction and his failure to maintain airplane control and airspeed.

NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff, the pilot noticed that the crew hatch door, located next to the left front seat, had unexpectedly opened. The pilot attempted to close the door without success. He indicated that, while trying to close the door, he "wasn't able to fully control the airplane normally (mainly [in] heading and pitch)," so he initiated a precautionary landing back to the departure airport. While maneuvering at a low altitude to stay in visual flight rules conditions (overcast ceiling at 300 ft), the airplane's airspeed decreased, the wing tips were dipping back and forth, and the airplane exhibited signs of nearing its critical angle of attack. The pilot retracted the landing gear and applied full engine power to try to gain airspeed. The pilot was unable to gain airspeed, and the airplane was losing altitude. Before impact, the pilot kept the wings level and the nose in a slight pitch-up attitude. The airplane then impacted the snow-covered terrain with the landing gear retracted, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and aileron. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact malfunctions with the crew hatch door; thus, it is likely the door had not been properly secured before takeoff.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Human factors
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have secured the door before takeoff to prevent distraction.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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