A single-engine aircraft in South Carolina was compelled to execute an emergency landing on Tuesday, shortly after takeoff, due to a door detaching from the plane. The Diamond DA40 was only airborne for a few minutes when the door plummeted into the yard of a vacant residence. The incident transpired after the plane had taken off from Myrtle Beach International Airport at 2:53 p.m.
The aircraft, which was transporting a pilot and a single passenger, declared an emergency following the door’s detachment. Despite the unsettling occurrence, there were no injuries reported. The plane, identified by its flight number as a part of the LIFT Academy flight school fleet, managed to return to the airport and land safely at 3:01 p.m.
Local resident Wendy Hodges stumbled upon the missing plane door in a yard next to her home. She was alerted to the unusual event when a passerby informed her that a piece of an aircraft had fallen nearby. Upon investigation, she discovered the door in the yard of the neighboring property.
In a separate incident on the same day, another emergency landing occurred in New England. A Cape Air Cessna 402C experienced a landing gear malfunction and was forced to return to Boston’s Logan Airport. The plane made a dramatic landing with only one wheel, a scene captured on video. The pilot and two passengers, one of whom was a Cape Air trainee, were unharmed.
These incidents highlight the critical importance of rigorous aircraft maintenance and safety checks. While both situations concluded without injury, they serve as a stark reminder of the potential dangers that can occur during flight. It is vital for flight schools and airlines to ensure the safety of their aircraft to prevent such incidents in the future.