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:

The NTSB is investigating an unsecured cockpit door as a primary causal factor in the fatal Van's RV-10 crash near Fullerton Municipal Airport, which occurred shortly after takeoff.
Evidence from video, witnesses, and aircraft systems suggests the left gull-wing door was not fully secured before takeoff and likely opened in flight, leading the pilot to declare an emergency and attempt an immediate return.
The pilot had significantly modified the aircraft's door-locking system, replacing kit-supplied components and failing to install a recommended secondary safety latch and the full door latch indicator system that would have warned of an unsecured forward latch pin.
Wreckage examination revealed the left door handle was not fully engaged in the locked position, with its pins only partially extended, contributing to the door's separation from the aircraft.

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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.