Advertising Mgmt & Consulting VELOCITY SUPER XLRG5 N444YP

Summary

On 2 August 2010 at about 20:00 local time, a Advertising Mgmt & Consulting VELOCITY SUPER XLRG5 registered N444YP, operated by Gregory B Crane, was involved in an accident near San Diego, California, United States. 5 people were on board and 2 died, 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 August 2010 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

San Diego, California, United States

Nearest airport

Montgomery Field (MFY)

Coordinates

32.8139, -117.0894

Aircraft

Advertising Mgmt & Consulting VELOCITY SUPER XLRG5

Registration

N444YP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Gregory B Crane

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Diego → Fullerton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA381

2 people died.

The pilot did not close and secure the right passenger door, which resulted in an in-flight separation of the door and subsequent loss of engine power due to the door’s collision with the rear-mounted engine assembly.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

In a postaccident interview, the pilot reported that he did not remember taxiing out for takeoff with the right passenger door open but that he did remember that the right door was open after takeoff and that he advised the control tower operator of his intention to return to the airport. The pilot recalled that, during the return maneuver, there was a vibration, as if the door had come off and struck the rear-mounted propeller, which prompted him to make an emergency landing on a nearby golf course. A witness at the airport reported seeing the right passenger door open during taxi and takeoff. The right passenger door was located about 1 mile west-southwest of the accident site. A postaccident examination revealed that the door’s locking mechanism was intact and that the lower forward section of the door showed black rubber signature marks that were consistent with contact with the engine drive belt, which was found separated from the engine. Additionally, the cambered surfaces of each of the three propeller blades exhibited rubber impact marks. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preaccident anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A flight instructor reported that, during a postaccident conversation, the pilot told him that he simply missed locking the copilot door and that this resulted in the separation of the door from the airframe.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.