N6324B – CESSNA 182A – 2011-10-10 NTSB Accident Report

On October 10, 2011, a Cessna 182A (N6324B) was involved in an incident near Warrenton, VA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot did not ensure that the forward door latch was secured prior to initiating the descent.

The pilot stated that he was descending the airplane from an altitude of 8,000 feet after releasing skydivers. During the descent, at an altitude of about 3,000 feet, the airplane's door opened and contacted the underside of the wing. The pilot slowed the airplane and attempted to close the door, but noticed that the door had warped and that the window was missing. A postflight inspection of the airplane revealed that the window had separated from the door in flight and contacted the right horizontal stabilizer, resulting in substantial damage.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA12CA024. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N6324B.