Commuter aircraft has baggage door open at 20 ft AGL. Receives vectors to land.

Attributes
ACN	221448
Time
Date	199209
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 20 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 420 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 740
ASRS Report	221448
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon departure from greater pittsburgh international runway 28C, intersection 14, approximately 20 ft AGL, our left nose baggage door handle broke free allowing the baggage door and support arm to swing freely in-flight (the support arm was striking the captain's windshield). With the captain flying, I, the first officer, requested and received priority assistance. We were vectored for ILS 28L and landed without any other occurrence. There were no injuries and the aircraft sustained no damage. The baggage door was safetied and returned to service by contract mechanics. Corrective action might include installing further locking mechanisms on baggage door.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT HAS BAGGAGE DOOR OPEN AT 20 FT AGL. RECEIVES VECTORS TO LAND.

Narrative: UPON DEP FROM GREATER PITTSBURGH INTL RWY 28C, INTXN 14, APPROX 20 FT AGL, OUR L NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR HANDLE BROKE FREE ALLOWING THE BAGGAGE DOOR AND SUPPORT ARM TO SWING FREELY INFLT (THE SUPPORT ARM WAS STRIKING THE CAPT'S WINDSHIELD). WITH THE CAPT FLYING, I, THE FO, REQUESTED AND RECEIVED PRIORITY ASSISTANCE. WE WERE VECTORED FOR ILS 28L AND LANDED WITHOUT ANY OTHER OCCURRENCE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE ACFT SUSTAINED NO DAMAGE. THE BAGGAGE DOOR WAS SAFETIED AND RETURNED TO SVC BY CONTRACT MECHS. CORRECTIVE ACTION MIGHT INCLUDE INSTALLING FURTHER LOCKING MECHANISMS ON BAGGAGE DOOR.

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.