Narrative:

In the haste to depart from westchester county (hpn), ny, we forgot to adequately exercise the checklist. The IFR flight plan was from hpn to mfv (accomack county, va). We were cleared via the westchester 9 SID then radar vectors to dixie intersection, V1 sby, Y29 swl, direct mfv. Shortly after takeoff we realized the top door latch of the small aircraft we were flying had not been secured. Since we were being cleared through the TCA and thought he could secure the door in flight we elected to continue. We climbed to 6000 ft with no problem. Upon reaching the southern edge of the TCA we still had not been able to fasten the latch and we decided to try a hard slip to the right to try to relieve the air pressure and allow us to fasten the latch. During this maneuver we lost 300 ft and descended from 6000 ft to 5700 ft. Immediately he climbed to 6000 ft and called ny approach and requested descent to allaire county (blm). Ny turned us over to mcguire air force base approach and told us to tell them the request since we were leaving his area. We switched frequencys, contacted mcguire, requested descent, cancelled IFR, requested advisory frequency, and landed. After landing the door was properly latched, and we took off and completed our flight VFR. I resolved to pay more attention to the checklist and when in an in-flight situation pay more attention to my flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEPARTS IFR WITH DOOR NOT PROPERLY LATCHED. ALTDEV WHILE TRYING TO SECURE.

Narrative: IN THE HASTE TO DEPART FROM WESTCHESTER COUNTY (HPN), NY, WE FORGOT TO ADEQUATELY EXERCISE THE CHKLIST. THE IFR FLT PLAN WAS FROM HPN TO MFV (ACCOMACK COUNTY, VA). WE WERE CLRED VIA THE WESTCHESTER 9 SID THEN RADAR VECTORS TO DIXIE INTXN, V1 SBY, Y29 SWL, DIRECT MFV. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF WE REALIZED THE TOP DOOR LATCH OF THE SMA WE WERE FLYING HAD NOT BEEN SECURED. SINCE WE WERE BEING CLRED THROUGH THE TCA AND THOUGHT HE COULD SECURE THE DOOR IN FLT WE ELECTED TO CONTINUE. WE CLBED TO 6000 FT WITH NO PROBLEM. UPON REACHING THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE TCA WE STILL HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO FASTEN THE LATCH AND WE DECIDED TO TRY A HARD SLIP TO THE R TO TRY TO RELIEVE THE AIR PRESSURE AND ALLOW US TO FASTEN THE LATCH. DURING THIS MANEUVER WE LOST 300 FT AND DSNDED FROM 6000 FT TO 5700 FT. IMMEDIATELY HE CLBED TO 6000 FT AND CALLED NY APCH AND REQUESTED DSCNT TO ALLAIRE COUNTY (BLM). NY TURNED US OVER TO MCGUIRE AIR FORCE BASE APCH AND TOLD US TO TELL THEM THE REQUEST SINCE WE WERE LEAVING HIS AREA. WE SWITCHED FREQS, CONTACTED MCGUIRE, REQUESTED DSCNT, CANCELLED IFR, REQUESTED ADVISORY FREQ, AND LANDED. AFTER LNDG THE DOOR WAS PROPERLY LATCHED, AND WE TOOK OFF AND COMPLETED OUR FLT VFR. I RESOLVED TO PAY MORE ATTN TO THE CHKLIST AND WHEN IN AN INFLT SITUATION PAY MORE ATTN TO MY FLYING.

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.