Plastic Pilot

There are no elegant, or smart aviation accidents. Loosing someone is always tragic, whatever the circumstances. I don’t want to judge anybody, my aim is simply to highlight how quick and silly accidents can be.

A KingAir 200 was back from a short test flight after maintenance. The pilot reported some noises, and the mechanic decided to board the plane while the engines were still running. You think he’s got hit by the prop ? Missed. This already happened, but not this time.

This accident occured when the mechanic opened the door. The reason is not yet clear, but the cabin was still pressurized, and the door violently hit the mechanics head. He died after being transported to the hospital.

The causes will be established by the investigation team, and could range from human error to technical deficiency in the pressurization system. I don’t want to speculate here, but there is something that makes this accident slightly different from others: I can’t imagine the usual series of events leading to it.

Most accidents have multiple causes, and preventing any of the causes could have avoided the fatal ending. This is the famous theory of the cheese slices: only when all the holes are lined-up, the accident happens. Even the most unexpected engine failure in a single engine aircraft gives the pilot some time to react and try to land. But this accident was so sudden that there was simply no possibility for a corrective action when the problem became apparent.

This could compare to an airframe falling apart in-flight, leaving the aircraft totally out of control. Such sudden and unavoidable accidents are hopefully extremely seldom, thanks to good application of the safety principles.

I don’t know if the KingAir is fitted with an pressurization indicator that is visible on the door itself. Some airliners have that incorporated in the door window. A red light illuminates if there is a pressure difference, so when someone wants to open the door - be it from inside or outside - he knows that there is a danger linked to pressurization.

It’s probably not frequent that KingAir doors are opened by someone else than one of the pilots… may be the recommendations of the investigation report will go in that direction. Whatever, the Murphy’s law has been verified one more time…