Socata TB-20 TRINIDAD N597TB

Summary

On 3 September 2008 at about 20:53 local time, a Socata TB-20 TRINIDAD registered N597TB was involved in an accident near Cassville, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 September 2008 at 20:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Cassville, Wisconsin, United States

Nearest airport

Cassville Municipal Airport (C74)

Coordinates

42.7806, -90.6811

Aircraft

Socata TB-20 TRINIDAD

Registration

N597TB

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dubuque → Prairie du Chie

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI08LA272

1 person died.

The left seat pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a go-around and the inadvertent in-flight opening of the cabin door for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the distraction of the door opening.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Two pilots, who were enrolled in an aviation training program, preflighted the airplane for a flight that was to pick up a friend at the destination airport. After departure, the right cabin door opened for reportedly unknown reasons, and was then held closed by the right seat pilot. The left seat pilot diverted to a nearby airport. During the approach the left seat pilot elected to perform a go-around because the approach "didn't look good." During the go-around, the door reopened, and the airplane rolled to the right and impacted the ground. The right seat pilot was fatally injuried. The airplane was equipped with gull wing type doors, which do not open against the direction of the relative airflow. The in-flight opening of a cabin door is not listed as an emergency in the Pilot's Information Manual and flight with a door open was not tested by the airplane manufacturer. Furthermore, flight is prohibited with a door being open or ajar. The airplane was consumed by fire and only portions of the door assemblies were recovered.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.