| Occurrence Briefs are concise reports that detail the facts surrounding a transport safety occurrence, as received in the initial notification and any follow-up enquiries. They provide an opportunity to share safety messages in the absence of an investigation. |
What happened
On 1 February 2018, the helicopter was operating a charter flight with one pilot and five passengers from Gold Coast Airport, Queensland (Qld).
At approximately 1300 Eastern Standard Time (EST), the pilot conducted visual checks of the seatbelts and doors, and the helicopter commenced its take-off, climbing to 500 ft. As the helicopter turned onto crosswind, the pilot detected a popping noise and turned around to see the main door was open. The pilot then slowed the helicopter to 80 knots and conducted a return to Gold Coast, Qld.
Post-flight, the passengers were disembarked, and the helicopter was inspected. The inspection revealed that the rear door window was missing, and the door was unable to be closed. It is suspected that the door was not correctly secured prior to the flight.
Safety message
It is important for flight crew and ground staff to ensure the security of doors during pre-flight checks. The risks of a door opening in-flight can result in pilot distraction, damage to the aircraft and objects falling from the aircraft.
About this report
Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.