Unsecured Cockpit Door Focus of NTSB Probe Into Fatal RV-10 Crash

Witness told investigators that as the Van’s kitplane cleared the end of the runway, he saw an arm reach up and pull down the open left-side, gull-wing door.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, January 31, 2025 at 04:15 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Kimberly Johnson

Fullerton Municipal Airport [Credit: City of Fullerton]

Key Takeaways:

Investigators are scrutinizing an unsecured cockpit door as a causal factor in the fatal Van’s RV-10 crash near Fullerton Municipal Airport, which occurred after the pilot reported needing an "immediate landing."
Witnesses observed the aircraft's left door open shortly after takeoff, followed by an arm attempting to pull it shut, before the plane made an aggressive turn and crashed.
The pilot had not installed a recommended secondary door latch and made unauthorized modifications to the door's locking mechanism, including using solid steel pins, aluminum blocks, and a modified latch indicator system that would not warn if the forward latch pins were not fully engaged.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Accident investigators are scrutinizing an unsecured cockpit door as a causal factor in the fatal crash of an Van’s RV-10 crash into a factory near Fullerton Municipal Airport (KFUL) in California.

The January 2 accident was caught on a video surveillance camera across the street from the airport. Audio shared by Los Angeles’ KABC-TV indicated the kitbuilt aircraft took off from KFUL around 2 p.m. PST from Runway 24 with the pilot and his 16-year-old daughter on board.