Main cargo door came ajar at rotation.

Attributes
ACN	306755
Time
Date	199506
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mmlm
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cle
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Falcon 20FJF/20C/20D/20E/20F
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	306755
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

My captain and I were in los moches, mexico. We were in a hurry to get out of there. We loaded the aircraft with our personal belongings, and shut the cargo door. We verified the door was secure, and put the cargo net up. We started, ran through our checks and taxied to runway 9. We were cleared for departure and started our takeoff roll. We rotated and I noticed a door light. I called 'we have a door light,' and 5 seconds later the door came ajar being held only by the cargo net. We made a right turn back to the airport and landed on runway 27 with no further incident. I believe we could have prevented this if we had taken a little more caution in securing the door. I also believe that there may have been a mechanical problem as well. The company I work for has an approved door closing procedure which is supposed to be taught to all crew members. To the best of my knowledge, no crew member has received this training. Also this is not the only door opening incident within the company, and the other incident cannot be proven to be pilot error, but rather is believed to be mechanical malfunction. I think more standardization and training should be given in the closing of the door, and also a directive should be issued to inspect after market cargo doors. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter flies the dassault falcon 20 that has been modified with a large freight door. The reporter admits to being hurried by his schedule to get through another city and then clear customs. The door warning light was out at the conclusion of the preflight inspection, but illuminated on the takeoff roll. A cargo net is attached to the door and airframe and prevented the door from opening more than 1 ft. The door was well off of the latches. The reporter states that there has been at least 1 other door opening episode in his air carrier and several others in the industry. There is a new door warning system being installed that will close the throttles if the door warning light illuminates on takeoff roll. The reporter has heard nothing from the FAA on this. He is now aware of the FAA safety hotline.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAIN CARGO DOOR CAME AJAR AT ROTATION.

Narrative: MY CAPT AND I WERE IN LOS MOCHES, MEXICO. WE WERE IN A HURRY TO GET OUT OF THERE. WE LOADED THE ACFT WITH OUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS, AND SHUT THE CARGO DOOR. WE VERIFIED THE DOOR WAS SECURE, AND PUT THE CARGO NET UP. WE STARTED, RAN THROUGH OUR CHKS AND TAXIED TO RWY 9. WE WERE CLRED FOR DEP AND STARTED OUR TKOF ROLL. WE ROTATED AND I NOTICED A DOOR LIGHT. I CALLED 'WE HAVE A DOOR LIGHT,' AND 5 SECONDS LATER THE DOOR CAME AJAR BEING HELD ONLY BY THE CARGO NET. WE MADE A R TURN BACK TO THE ARPT AND LANDED ON RWY 27 WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE WE COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS IF WE HAD TAKEN A LITTLE MORE CAUTION IN SECURING THE DOOR. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A MECHANICAL PROB AS WELL. THE COMPANY I WORK FOR HAS AN APPROVED DOOR CLOSING PROC WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE TAUGHT TO ALL CREW MEMBERS. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, NO CREW MEMBER HAS RECEIVED THIS TRAINING. ALSO THIS IS NOT THE ONLY DOOR OPENING INCIDENT WITHIN THE COMPANY, AND THE OTHER INCIDENT CANNOT BE PROVEN TO BE PLT ERROR, BUT RATHER IS BELIEVED TO BE MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION. I THINK MORE STANDARDIZATION AND TRAINING SHOULD BE GIVEN IN THE CLOSING OF THE DOOR, AND ALSO A DIRECTIVE SHOULD BE ISSUED TO INSPECT AFTER MARKET CARGO DOORS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR FLIES THE DASSAULT FALCON 20 THAT HAS BEEN MODIFIED WITH A LARGE FREIGHT DOOR. THE RPTR ADMITS TO BEING HURRIED BY HIS SCHEDULE TO GET THROUGH ANOTHER CITY AND THEN CLR CUSTOMS. THE DOOR WARNING LIGHT WAS OUT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PREFLT INSPECTION, BUT ILLUMINATED ON THE TKOF ROLL. A CARGO NET IS ATTACHED TO THE DOOR AND AIRFRAME AND PREVENTED THE DOOR FROM OPENING MORE THAN 1 FT. THE DOOR WAS WELL OFF OF THE LATCHES. THE RPTR STATES THAT THERE HAS BEEN AT LEAST 1 OTHER DOOR OPENING EPISODE IN HIS ACR AND SEVERAL OTHERS IN THE INDUSTRY. THERE IS A NEW DOOR WARNING SYS BEING INSTALLED THAT WILL CLOSE THE THROTTLES IF THE DOOR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON TKOF ROLL. THE RPTR HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA ON THIS. HE IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA SAFETY HOTLINE.

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.