Small aircraft on takeoff has emergency door open just after liftoff and gear retraction. Settles on...

Attributes
ACN	186588
Time
Date	199108
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bzn airport : bzm
State Reference	MT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 5910 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	186588
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Following a normal takeoff roll and liftoff, with the landing gear being retracted, the emergency exit on the passenger side of the aircraft suddenly opened. While evacing the source of the difficulty and correcting the condition, the aircraft made contact with the runway. The aircraft rebounded into the air, the engine was not developing power at this point, and the gear down position was selected on the landing gear switch. The aircraft contacted again in a straight and level attitude above the stalling speed. The gear had extended but only the right main remained so. The aircraft continued down the runway in this condition gradually veering to the left, and eventually exited the runway onto a grassy area coming to rest facing about 130 degrees left of runway heading. 3 passenger and then the pilot exited the aircraft uneventfully. No injuries, no fire and no property damage resulted. I believe that a contributing factor in this incident may have been the distraction of radio transmissions to the pilot from the on-field FSS operator during the takeoff roll just prior to liftoff. Strict adherence to the old saw of 'just fly the airplane' when close to the ground would have prevented this occurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON TKOF HAS EMER DOOR OPEN JUST AFTER LIFTOFF AND GEAR RETRACTION. SETTLES ONTO RWY, BOUNCES, GEAR EXTENDED. TOUCHES DOWN BUT GEAR COLLAPSES.

Narrative: FOLLOWING A NORMAL TKOF ROLL AND LIFTOFF, WITH THE LNDG GEAR BEING RETRACTED, THE EMER EXIT ON THE PAX SIDE OF THE ACFT SUDDENLY OPENED. WHILE EVACING THE SOURCE OF THE DIFFICULTY AND CORRECTING THE CONDITION, THE ACFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE RWY. THE ACFT REBOUNDED INTO THE AIR, THE ENG WAS NOT DEVELOPING PWR AT THIS POINT, AND THE GEAR DOWN POS WAS SELECTED ON THE LNDG GEAR SWITCH. THE ACFT CONTACTED AGAIN IN A STRAIGHT AND LEVEL ATTITUDE ABOVE THE STALLING SPD. THE GEAR HAD EXTENDED BUT ONLY THE R MAIN REMAINED SO. THE ACFT CONTINUED DOWN THE RWY IN THIS CONDITION GRADUALLY VEERING TO THE L, AND EVENTUALLY EXITED THE RWY ONTO A GRASSY AREA COMING TO REST FACING ABOUT 130 DEGS L OF RWY HDG. 3 PAX AND THEN THE PLT EXITED THE ACFT UNEVENTFULLY. NO INJURIES, NO FIRE AND NO PROPERTY DAMAGE RESULTED. I BELIEVE THAT A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT MAY HAVE BEEN THE DISTR OF RADIO TRANSMISSIONS TO THE PLT FROM THE ON-FIELD FSS OPERATOR DURING THE TKOF ROLL JUST PRIOR TO LIFTOFF. STRICT ADHERENCE TO THE OLD SAW OF 'JUST FLY THE AIRPLANE' WHEN CLOSE TO THE GND WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Small aircraft on takeoff has emergency door open just after liftoff and gear retraction. Settles onto runway, bounces, gear extended. Touches down but gear collapses.