Airplane door falls on motel roof

October 13, 2013

el castellThe door of a small private plane fell off and landed on a Monterey Hotel on Thursday without the pilot or motel occupants noticing. [Californian]

At about 3 p.m., the pilot took off from the Monterey Regional Airport and flew west. Shortly afterwards, the pilot heard a pop and headed back to the airport where he discovered the plane was missing a door.

The next day, a contractor working outside the El Castell Motel noticed the door and informed the front desk manager. The 75-pound damaged the roof of the motel, but not the room below.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the mishap.

 


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What we need is a law requiring government inspections of all aircraft before each and every flight. We can hire a few thousand government employees and a few thousand more to supervise and manage these inspectors. In fact we could create a whole new bureaucracy just to inspect small aircraft. You laugh, but just wait some democrat politician will propose just such a law in the near future, after all their job is to continue to grow the government for our own safety and protection, no matter what the cost to taxpayers.


Wait… a “small private plane” ? Small? And the pilot did not notice a missing DOOR?


Did the pilot notice INTENSE DRAG and a rushing WIND SOUND? A sudden loss of pressure (if it was from a pressurized interior).


Sheesh. Glad no one was made into a pancake by this falling debris.


Yea that was my first thought to Roy but then I thought, he would have to know, so maybe a luggage compartment door on rear exterior or underneath. He said he heard a pop, so obviously didn’t see anything visually.


You never know what may fall when living near an airport. Years ago a jet engine fell from the sky and through the roof of a neighboring automotive shop near SF International. I clearly remember the transition from prop to jet and the noise that would squelch the teachers at Bel Air Elementary in San Bruno. Falling parts were common.