The cockpit door of a single-engine two-seater plane came off mid-flight as the pilot was flying over Loudoun County Saturday, and local law enforcement are now looking for the door.
The door came off at around 9 a.m. as the plane was flying over Round Hill, Virginia. Pilot Dan O’Brien, 63, was successfully able to land the aircraft at Leesburg Executive Airport despite the door coming off, Virginia State Police said, according to InsideNoVa.com.
A picture of the plane provided by VSP and posted online by WJLA-TV shows the plane’s registration number, N624LD. Per the FAA registry, Mr. O’Brien assembled the experimental Lancair aircraft; the registered owner is Mr. O’Brien’s company Microfoundations Inc.
The plane took off from the Leesburg, Virginia, airport less than 15 minutes prior, according to flight tracking website FlightAware, and was headed for Lawrence J. Timmerman Airport in Milwaukee.
The state troopers and Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office are trying to find the door, described as being 3.5 feet long, 2.5 feet wide, and colored white with maroon markings. They ask that people do not touch the door if they find it.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are also aware of the incident, according to InsideNoVa.com.
