Narrative:

Flying from ind to destination, fl, VFR with mild turbulence, right door became ajar, scaring my wife to hysterics. I was navigating with doran, my VOR backup. I located the nearest airport with VOR navigation and listened to ATIS and called approach control. They didn't answer repeated calls and so I called the tower, who finally answered. I told them on all the calls that I had to land as I had my door open. I started calling over 20 mi out. Cruise was being reduced to reduce my wife's panic. I was squawking 1200 and my altitude encoder was on. The tower couldn't see me, but I announced my position on all calls. Unfortunately, a commuter airline on long final decided to go around. I was then vectored at 3000' to follow him on landing. I was asked after landing to call approach control. While I was working on my airplane's door they called me first and stated I was within an airport control zone. I explained the situation to them. The situation occurred because my door latch was repaired improperly. When the airplane flexed with the wind, the door came open. I had not properly briefed my wife on the ability of the airplane to fly with the door open before, as this has not occurred to her in 20 yrs of private flying. I should have been looking for the nearest airport at all times. LORAN navigation usually ignores local location and ground reference. I have all of the maps of the area and I use them to locate my position. I could have transmitted directly to the tower from the beginning for this emergency landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DOOR CAME OPEN IN FLT. PASSENGER SCARED. PLT MADE IMMEDIATE LNDG. UNABLE TO CONTACT APCH. FINALLY MADE CONTACT WITH TWR.

Narrative: FLYING FROM IND TO DEST, FL, VFR WITH MILD TURB, RIGHT DOOR BECAME AJAR, SCARING MY WIFE TO HYSTERICS. I WAS NAVIGATING WITH DORAN, MY VOR BACKUP. I LOCATED THE NEAREST ARPT WITH VOR NAV AND LISTENED TO ATIS AND CALLED APCH CTL. THEY DIDN'T ANSWER REPEATED CALLS AND SO I CALLED THE TWR, WHO FINALLY ANSWERED. I TOLD THEM ON ALL THE CALLS THAT I HAD TO LAND AS I HAD MY DOOR OPEN. I STARTED CALLING OVER 20 MI OUT. CRUISE WAS BEING REDUCED TO REDUCE MY WIFE'S PANIC. I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 AND MY ALT ENCODER WAS ON. THE TWR COULDN'T SEE ME, BUT I ANNOUNCED MY POS ON ALL CALLS. UNFORTUNATELY, A COMMUTER AIRLINE ON LONG FINAL DECIDED TO GO AROUND. I WAS THEN VECTORED AT 3000' TO FOLLOW HIM ON LNDG. I WAS ASKED AFTER LNDG TO CALL APCH CTL. WHILE I WAS WORKING ON MY AIRPLANE'S DOOR THEY CALLED ME FIRST AND STATED I WAS WITHIN AN ARPT CTL ZONE. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THEM. THE SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE MY DOOR LATCH WAS REPAIRED IMPROPERLY. WHEN THE AIRPLANE FLEXED WITH THE WIND, THE DOOR CAME OPEN. I HAD NOT PROPERLY BRIEFED MY WIFE ON THE ABILITY OF THE AIRPLANE TO FLY WITH THE DOOR OPEN BEFORE, AS THIS HAS NOT OCCURRED TO HER IN 20 YRS OF PVT FLYING. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE NEAREST ARPT AT ALL TIMES. LORAN NAV USUALLY IGNORES LCL LOCATION AND GND REF. I HAVE ALL OF THE MAPS OF THE AREA AND I USE THEM TO LOCATE MY POS. I COULD HAVE XMITTED DIRECTLY TO THE TWR FROM THE BEGINNING FOR THIS EMER LNDG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.