A rear door separated from a passenger flight bound for Bethel, Alaska, on the evening of Feb. 28, according to federal incident records.
The Grant Aviation flight—a single-engine Gippsland GA-8 Airvan—was carrying a pilot and five passengers on a scheduled trip from Eek to Bethel when the left rear sliding door unlatched and departed the aircraft. The flight continued without further incident and landed safely. No injuries were reported.
Dan Knesek, Grant’s vice president of commercial operations, told the Anchorage Daily News the company has notified appropriate authorities and is working to determine what led to the door’s separation.
Officials noted that in-flight door separations are uncommon, particularly in general aviation aircraft. The GA-8’s left-side sliding door differs from conventional hinged designs, raising concerns about the potential for a departing door to strike the aircraft’s tail surfaces, including the vertical or horizontal stabilizers. An National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson told KTUU that in this case the door did not contact the tail, and no additional damage was reported.
Grant Aviation operates scheduled and charter passenger and cargo service throughout Alaska, serving communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, the Aleutians and Bristol Bay. Its fleet includes Cessna 207s, Piper Navajos, Grand Caravans, GA-8 Airvans and King Air 200s.
The NTSB is not opening a formal investigation but said it is monitoring the situation in coordination with the airline.
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