Raytheon Aircraft Company 1900D N261GL incident near Page, Arizona

Probable cause

The flight crew’s unprofessional behavior and deviation from standard operating procedures which resulted in an in-flight emergency.

NTSB analysis

The scheduled air carrier was departing from an airport. During taxi, cockpit voice recorder data indicated that the first officer was stating and verifying the checklists, as well as taxiing the airplane. Company standard operating procedures required that those checklists be called out by one crewmember and verified by the other. The flight crew spoke of personal matters and did not follow the sterile cockpit regulations as specified by 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 21.542. The captain stated that during takeoff, the cargo door light illuminated, the aft cargo door opened, and the flight crew returned to land at the airport. According to the airplane manufacturer, if the door is not closed and locked, a cockpit light will illuminate indicating that the door is not secure. Following the accident, operation of the door and functionality of the cockpit indicator light were verified. The cargo door indicator light is to be checked by both crewmembers on the Before Takeoff checklist. Due to the flight crew’s lack of professionalism and deviation from standard operating procedures, they most likely did not see that the light was illuminated prior to departure.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for SEA08IA096 for the full record.