The cargo door on an Eagle Air flight to Whangarei opened at take-off- causing a potentially deadly situation - because baggage handlers at Auckland Airport forgot to lock the door.
The 19-seat Eagle Air Beech 1900D plane, with nine passengers and two pilots on board, was heading to Whangarei from Auckland
on April 9 this year.
The rear cargo door opened during the take-off from Auckland Airport and the plane had to make an emergency landing.
American visitor Chuck Weikel, who was on board, told the Northern Advocate that afternoon that he knew something was "seriously wrong" when loud banging started coming from the back of the plane.
The aircraft landed without any problems, but the five minutes or so in between was a worrying time for Mr Weikel and his fellow passengers.
He wondered how the door could have come open and suspects it had simply "not been closed properly before take off".
The Civil Aviation Authority has found that baggage loaders have been forgetting to lock cargo doors.
If the door which opened mid-flight had broken off the Beech 1900D it could have smashed into the tail and potentially caused a major problem.
The CAA investigation showed the door had not been locked. Loaders usually closed doors but did not lock them while they waited for late bags.
The CAA also found the paint had worn off the button which made it difficult to confirm if the door was unlocked.
Staff had not been trained sufficiently in "cargo door button operation," it found.
The CAA found the incident was caused by the practice of the baggage loaders closing the doors, but leaving them unlocked.
It recommended that airlines ensure a closed door is locked in all cases where the door is shut as any perceived advantage gained by not having to unlock the door to load a late bag was offset by the risk that it would be missed during visual inspection.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission is also investigating the incident.
Eagle Air spokeswoman Tracy Mills said corrective actions had been taken.
