Israel Aircraft Industries 1125 WESTWIND ASTRA accident near Baltimore, Maryland, July 24, 2015
On July 24, 2015, a 1986 Israel Aircraft Industries 1125 WESTWIND ASTRA, registered N765A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Baltimore, Maryland (Baltimore/Washington Intl Thur airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's failure to visually ensure that the cabin door locking pin was in place before takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 24, 2015
- Place
- Baltimore, Maryland · Baltimore/Washington Intl Thur · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Israel Aircraft Industries 1125 WESTWIND ASTRA, built 1986 · all 1125 WESTWIND ASTRAs on the register
- Registration
- N765A · no longer on the register · serial 011
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After the passengers boarded the airplane, the pilot monitoring closed the cabin door and stated that he visually checked that the main entry door was secure and locked. Throughout the start, taxi, and takeoff procedures the CABIN DOOR and CABIN DOOR SEAL lights were not illuminated. Then, immediately after takeoff, the flight crew identified that the CABIN DOOR, CABIN DOOR SEAL, and MASTER CAUTION lights were illuminated. During the return to the airport for landing, the main entry door opened. The crew subsequently declared an emergency and landed uneventfully. The airplane incurred substantial damage to the door and airframe during the landing; the passengers and crew were not injured. Examination of the door and the locking mechanisms revealed that when the door was latched with the locking pin in the stirrup, the door was secured. However, when the locking pin was resting on the stirrup, and not in the stirrup, the CABIN DOOR warning light would not illuminate. The light would illuminate on the warning annunciator when the locking mechanism was pulled away from and not in contact with the stirrup. Furthermore, the self-locking air springs on the door did not function. Without the self-locking feature, the door lacked a secondary safety feature that could have prevented the accident. It is likely that when the pilot monitoring closed the cabin door, the locking pin rested on the stirrup and did not fully engage, and the pilot monitoring did not visually check that the locking mechanism was secure in the stirrup. Since the CABIN DOOR light would not illuminate if the locking pin was resting on the stirrup, the crew was not alerted to the unsecured position of the main entry door. According to maintenance records, the most recent inspection of the door and its locking mechanism was completed about one month before the accident. It could not be determined whether the failure of the air springs occurred before the most recent inspection and was not identified, or if the failure occurred after the inspection.
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
What happened, in order
- Cabin safety event during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Incorrect service/maintenance
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Inadequate inspection
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Not inspected
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Flight crew
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane
- Flight time: 5,724 hours in all; 182 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 4,956 as pilot in command; 2,704 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 21, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,265 hours in all; 273 in this make and model; 106 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 2,758 as pilot in command; 906 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 21, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,668.6 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 22, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 25,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Honeywell TFE-731-3C-20 (turbofan); 8,501 hours total
- Engine 2: Honeywell TFE-731-3C-20 (turbofan); 8,421 hours total
- Operator: Mountain Air Services LLC
The flight
- Departed from: BWI Baltimore MD
- Destination: PWK Chicago IL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28, 10,502 ft by 199 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA15LA292.