Door open in flight.

Attributes
ACN	297559
Time
Date	199502
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia tower : mia
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Cessna 402/402C/B379 Businessliner/Utiliner
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Route In Use	enroute airway : mia
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	297559
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	297556
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Top portion of main cabin door opened in flight. Shortly prior to opening, annunciator light (red) illuminated, warning of possible opening of cargo or passenger door. I instructed the passenger to remain seated with seat belts securely fastened. Captain notified ATC of the situation but did not declare an emergency. Speed was reduced to lowest practical with flaps, to prevent any structural damage. Aircraft was landed without incident, at destination. No damage to the aircraft occurred, after inspection. Aircraft was grounded to prevent any repeat occurrence. Prior to departure, I had personally secured the cabin door and no indication of any problem was detected. Maintenance personnel concluded, after inspection, that a spring mechanism that returns the door latch to the streamline position was missing and most likely the air turbulence had moved the latch to open position. The bottom portion of the door had remained secured at all time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DOOR OPEN IN FLT.

Narrative: TOP PORTION OF MAIN CABIN DOOR OPENED IN FLT. SHORTLY PRIOR TO OPENING, ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT (RED) ILLUMINATED, WARNING OF POSSIBLE OPENING OF CARGO OR PAX DOOR. I INSTRUCTED THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED WITH SEAT BELTS SECURELY FASTENED. CAPT NOTIFIED ATC OF THE SIT BUT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. SPD WAS REDUCED TO LOWEST PRACTICAL WITH FLAPS, TO PREVENT ANY STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. ACFT WAS LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, AT DEST. NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OCCURRED, AFTER INSPECTION. ACFT WAS GNDED TO PREVENT ANY REPEAT OCCURRENCE. PRIOR TO DEP, I HAD PERSONALLY SECURED THE CABIN DOOR AND NO INDICATION OF ANY PROB WAS DETECTED. MAINT PERSONNEL CONCLUDED, AFTER INSPECTION, THAT A SPRING MECHANISM THAT RETURNS THE DOOR LATCH TO THE STREAMLINE POS WAS MISSING AND MOST LIKELY THE AIR TURB HAD MOVED THE LATCH TO OPEN POS. THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE DOOR HAD REMAINED SECURED AT ALL TIME.

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.