Beech 1900D incident near Denver, Colorado, August 24, 2003
On August 24, 2003 at about 1:19 am local time, a Beech 1900D, registered N192GL, suffered minor damage in an incident near Denver, Colorado. It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 16 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the first officer's improper preflight preparation in failing to ensure the cabin airstair door was fully locked and secure. Factors relating to the incident were the cabin airstair door handle not being fully secure and the forward cabin door warning light not illuminating until the airplane was in flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2003 · about 1:19 am local time
- Place
- Denver, Colorado · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 16 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900D · all 1900Ds on the register
- Registration
- N192GL · no longer on the register · serial UE-192
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The first officer reported that as part of the first flight of the day, he performed the cabin/cargo door checks. He said, "All checks of the cabin and cargo door circuitry appeared normal." The first officer said that the airstair door operated normally during the three previous flights that day. He reported that on the incident flight, he "did not note any abnormalities as far as the operation/locking of the forward airstair door." He said that the cabin door annunciator light went out as normal after closing and locking the cabin door. He and the captain verified that the doors were closed and the annunciator lights were out. The captain reported that approximately 5 minutes into the flight and passing 8,000 feet msl, the cabin door warning light illuminated. The captain said they ran the checklist, which directed the passengers to ensure their seat belts were fastened. The captain said he directed the first officer to tell approach control that they were returning to the airport. The captain said they did not declare an emergency at that time. The captain said that approximately 2 minutes after the cabin door warning light illuminated, he initiated a 20 to 25 degree bank left turn to take them back to the airport. During the turn, the captain said he heard a pop and the cabin door came open causing damage to the door, doorframe, and left propeller. The captain said they declared an emergency and landed with the cabin door open. An examination of the cabin airstair door showed no anomalies with the locking mechanism and circuitry. An examination of the door sensor to the forward cabin door warning light showed that the door handle could be placed in a position where the door's pressure lock plunger was just engaging the latch plate, but had not dropped into the "keyhole," and the warning light would go out. When moving the handle through the closed position so that the handle could no longer move forward, the pressure lock plunger would fully engage in its "seated position" and the warning light would go out.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,850 hours in all; 2,477 in this make and model; 224 in the last 90 days; 59 in the last 30 days; 834 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 13, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,541 hours in all; 654 in this make and model; 244 in the last 90 days; 76 in the last 30 days; 761 as pilot in command; 552 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 17,493.7 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 19, 2003; 21.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 17,230 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT61-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DEN Denver CO at 1:10 am
- Destination: SAF Santa Fe NM
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 200° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,500 ft; a few clouds at 4,300 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 1:09 am from DEN, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 14 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.