Cessna 525 N77215

Summary

On 12 January 2007 at about 19:07 local time, a Cessna 525 registered N77215, operated by Sunquest Executive Air Charter, was involved in an accident near Van Nuys, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 January 2007 at 19:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Van Nuys, California, United States

Nearest airport

Van Nuys (VNY)

Coordinates

34.2256, -118.4936

Aircraft

Cessna 525

Registration

N77215

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Sunquest Executive Air Charter

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Van Nuys → Long Beach

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX07MA069

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during the initial climb resulting in an inadvertent stall/spin. Contributing to the accident were the second pilots inadequate preflight, failure to properly secure the front baggage door, and the front left baggage door opening in flight, which likely distracted the first pilot.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Line personnel reported that as the airplane was being fueled, the second pilot loaded more than one bag in the left front baggage compartment. With fueling complete, line personnel saw the second pilot pull the front left baggage door down, but not lock or latch it. Witnesses near midfield of the 8,001-foot long runway, reported that the airplane was airborne, and the front left baggage door was closed. Witnesses near the end of the runway, reported that the airplane was about 200 feet above ground level (agl) and they noted that the front left baggage door was open and standing straight up. All of the witnesses reported that the airplane turned slightly left, leveled off, and was slow. The airplane began to descend, and the wings were slightly rocking before it stalled, broke right, and collided with the terrain. Investigators found no anomalies with the airframe or engines that would have precluded normal operation. The forward baggage doors' design incorporates a key lock in the lower center of each door, and two latches in the left and right bottom section of the doors. There are two hinges in the upper left and right sections of the door. The handles latched the door to the door frame in the fuselage. The key would be in the horizontal position in an unlocked condition, and in the vertical position in a locked condition. The front left baggage door was found within the main wreckage debris field and had sustained mechanical and thermal damage. The key lock was in the horizontal position. Several instances of a baggage door opening in flight have been recorded in Cessna Citation airplanes. In some cases, the door separated, and in others it remained attached. The crews of these other airplanes returned to the airport and landed successfully.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.