Charter plane door opens mid flight

[Geoff W]

That was one heck of a feat by the pilot wasnt it?

Source NT News.com


A charter flight to the Tiwi Islands was forced to return to Darwin Airport when the door opened mid-air.

The twin engine nine-seat ChartAir flight was taking journalists to Maurice Rioli's funeral on Melville Island this morning.

Australian Associated Press journalist Larine Statham said she was shaken by the experience.

"It was just after the plane took off. We were over the ocean," she said.

"The door just went pop and then there was a gush of air".

"I was a bit shaken up but we are all good."

Ms Statham said the pilot acted calmly as he tried to shut the door.

"He persisted until he got it closed mid-air," she said.

The plane immediately returned to Darwin Airport, where it was checked over before taking off again for the Tiwi Islands.

Kind regards,

Geoff

[Mick F]

Sounds like the crew door. Someone didn't check it before they took off by the sounds of it!

Mick

[Geoff W]

Good point Mick.

Take the journalism out of it.

The pilot did a great job in my mind.

Kind regards,

Geoff

[Mick F]

Couldn't think of anything worse, than to have a bunch of journalists onboard when something goes wrong! They'd all be writing 'fearing for their lives' stories, quoting each other.

I've had the crew door of a Chieftain come open on take off (being Chartair, I'm guessing the aircraft in question was a Cessna 402) and apart from the embarrasment, a bit of wind and the Chief Pilot sitting you down for a beer afterwards, not much else really happens. C402 however, can do structural damage quite easily if it swings all the way up.

Mick