Deadly Doors: Distractions Still Posing Threats to Pilots

Already in 2025, there have been four serious crashes in the U.S. where a door opened after takeoff.

Max Trescott

Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

So if you find yourself needing to return to the airport with an open door, if possible, fly a standard traffic pattern. [Courtesy: Max Trescott]

Key Takeaways:

Unlatched doors after takeoff, while seemingly minor, continue to cause fatal general aviation accidents due to pilot panic and incorrect reactions.
Pilots often exacerbate the problem by attempting to return to the airport too quickly, leading them to fly dangerously low and close traffic patterns.
Flying a low traffic pattern can cause pilots to misjudge distance, shorten base legs, and overshoot turns, significantly increasing the risk of unrecoverable stall/spin accidents at low altitudes.
To prevent these accidents, pilots should maintain normal procedures and fly standard traffic patterns even under duress, and always ensure all aircraft doors are securely latched before takeoff.

See a mistake? Contact us.

A door pops open just after takeoff. It’s annoying, sure—but deadly? It shouldn’t be. Yet general aviation pilots continue to crash and die because of how they react to something as simple as an unlatched door.

In just the first few months of 2025, we’ve had four serious crashes in the U.S. where a pilot experienced a door or baggage door opening after takeoff and didn’t make it back. Three of the four crashes were fatal, and the fourth one resulted in burn injuries. So, while it’s easy to dismiss these kinds of accidents, they’re important because they continue to kill.