Plane crash horror as door burst open mid-flight and pilots couldn't close it

dailystar.co.uk:

plane crashed into a hedge after the main door opened just 10 minutes into a training flight.The 49-year-old instructor was undertaking her first trial lesson with a student when the door of the Piper PA-28-180 fixed-wing single-engine aircraft started to open.The instructor made several failed attempts to close it to no avail, North Wales Live reports.

The plane, which was being flown by the student began losing altitude around 150m from the runway and struck a hedge at Mid Wales Airport, Welshpool, Powys just after 10.30am on July 9, 2021.The instructor and student were uninjured but "substantial damage" was caused to the landing gear and propeller.A report by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) states: "The instructor was undertaking her first instructional flight, a trial lesson with a planned landaway at Mid-Wales Airport, Welshpool."Approximately 10 minutes into the flight, with the student flying, the main door started to open."The instructor made a few unsuccessful attempts to close it and then decided to continue to Welshpool as they understood the departure airfield was busy."A straight-in approach was requested, and the instructor explained the approach procedure to the student."The aircraft was lined up with the runway centreline with the flaps extended and was stable at 67 kt.