Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Cobb County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hiram, Georgia 30141
Wednesday, September 19, 2007 8:45 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot of an amateur-built RV-10 performed his preflight inspection, and confirmed that the doors were in the locked position by observing the lock indicator lights on the instrument panel, as well as the lock annunciators on the airplane’s electronic flight information system. During cruise flight, at an altitude of 4,500 feet mean sea level, and an estimated cruise speed of 145 knots, he noticed the right door was vibrating. He reached over to grip the door handle and the door began to open upwards. Shortly thereafter the door opened completely, separated from the airframe, and struck the right horizontal stabilizer. The pilot declared an emergency and returned to the departure airport. A search for the separated door was unsuccessful, and postaccident examination of the airplane was inconclusive. As part of the investigation, five RV-10 airplanes fitted with the same door locking mechanism were surveyed. Varying degrees of door lock pin extension lengths were observed between airplanes.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Separation of the passenger cabin door during cruise flight for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/19/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 845 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Hiram |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30141 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 335215N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0844335W |
| Event Location Airport | Cobb County Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | RYY |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 12 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1040 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 855 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 35 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KRYY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1040 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 17 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 24413 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ATL FSDO |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 24 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 30 2008 2:39PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Atlanta, GA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N416EC |
| NTSB Number | NYC07LA237 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ORTIZ G/SAINT J |
| Aircraft Model | RV-10 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 40416 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2940 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Yes |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 19 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 64 |
| Airframe Hours | 298 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | RV10-416EC LLC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2727 PACES FERRY RD SE STE 2-450 |
| Aircraft Owner City | ATLANTA |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 30339-4007 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | John R. Moore |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Acworth |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 30101 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | RYY |
| Departure City | Atlanta |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 845 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | DHN |
| Destination City | Dothan |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 30 2008 2:42PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |