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| Date: | Wednesday 4 August 2004 |
| Time: | 08:05 LT |
| Type: |  Cessna 208B |
| Owner/operator: | Superior Aviation Inc. |
| Registration: | N1037N |
| MSN: | 208B0334 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1993 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5403 hours |
| Engine model: | Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Big Rapids, Michigan -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Grand Rapids-Gerald R. Ford International Airport, MI (GRR/KGRR) |
| Traverse City-Cherry Capital Airport, MI (TVC/KTVC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane was substantially damaged when the cargo door inadvertently opened in-flight and a box departed the aircraft, striking the horizontal stabilizer. The pilot reported that after loading the cargo, he and the loaders had to "muscle the cargo door closed due to a large volume of freight." The taxi and takeoff were normal, but a few minutes after leveling at cruising altitude the door ajar light illuminated. The pilot stated that "shortly after this illumination, there was a loud thud and [he] figured that a box had departed the aircraft and struck the tail." The pilot reported that aircraft control was normal after the accident. He stated that he employed the door ajar checklist, diverted to an intermediate airport, and landed uneventfully. When he exited the aircraft, the pilot saw the damage to the left horizontal stabilizer. An inspection of the cargo door installation on the accident aircraft revealed the door structure and locking mechanism were intact and appeared undamaged. The door closed and latched properly. The cargo door had a window installed. The inspection noted that with this design the door had enough flexibility to allow the forward frame of the door to be seated in the door jamb and latched, while the aft frame was outside the jamb and unlatched. The micro-switch for the DOOR WARNING annunciator light was located on the forward jamb. Therefore, it was possible in that configuration for the aft cargo door latch not to be engaged without the annunciator light being illuminated.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to verify that the cargo door was latched properly prior to flight and the subsequent in-flight opening of the door. A contributing factor was the box which departed the cargo compartment and struck the horizontal stabilizer.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CHI04LA213
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Oct-2022 08:07 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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