A return land emergency landing made when small transport passenger door blows off in climb.

Attributes
ACN	201969
Time
Date	199202
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 78d
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1200 agl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	201969
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Loaded passengers, I closed door and checked the inspection door to make sure mechanism was locked. It appeared locked and secured. Performed checklists and called unicom, informed it that I was departing runway 23. After departing and reaching approximately 1200 ft AGL, the door blew off, completely detaching itself from the aircraft. I told all passengers to keep their seat belts on, and turned left back to the airport and lined up and landed on runway 5. The wind was calm, WX clear, and visibility unlimited, approximately 6 degrees fahrenheit. Based on my review of this situation, I did not feel that there was anything additional I could have done to have prevented this occurrence. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The lever that moves the locking mechanism into the latch had sheared but the window showing lock position did show to the reporter at the departure time that it was locked. The door is an outward down type door. When it opened in flight it was yanked off the bottom hinges. The door was recovered for a post flight inspection. Reporter claims this has occurred before but not to him. FAA sent handle to manufacturer for appraisal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RETURN LAND EMER LNDG MADE WHEN SMT PAX DOOR BLOWS OFF IN CLB.

Narrative: LOADED PAXS, I CLOSED DOOR AND CHKED THE INSPECTION DOOR TO MAKE SURE MECHANISM WAS LOCKED. IT APPEARED LOCKED AND SECURED. PERFORMED CHKLISTS AND CALLED UNICOM, INFORMED IT THAT I WAS DEPARTING RWY 23. AFTER DEPARTING AND REACHING APPROX 1200 FT AGL, THE DOOR BLEW OFF, COMPLETELY DETACHING ITSELF FROM THE ACFT. I TOLD ALL PAXS TO KEEP THEIR SEAT BELTS ON, AND TURNED L BACK TO THE ARPT AND LINED UP AND LANDED ON RWY 5. THE WIND WAS CALM, WX CLR, AND VISIBILITY UNLIMITED, APPROX 6 DEGS FAHRENHEIT. BASED ON MY REVIEW OF THIS SITUATION, I DID NOT FEEL THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING ADDITIONAL I COULD HAVE DONE TO HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE LEVER THAT MOVES THE LOCKING MECHANISM INTO THE LATCH HAD SHEARED BUT THE WINDOW SHOWING LOCK POS DID SHOW TO THE RPTR AT THE DEP TIME THAT IT WAS LOCKED. THE DOOR IS AN OUTWARD DOWN TYPE DOOR. WHEN IT OPENED IN FLT IT WAS YANKED OFF THE BOTTOM HINGES. THE DOOR WAS RECOVERED FOR A POST FLT INSPECTION. RPTR CLAIMS THIS HAS OCCURRED BEFORE BUT NOT TO HIM. FAA SENT HANDLE TO MANUFACTURER FOR APPRAISAL.

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.