The reporter experienced moderate to severe turbulence. His passenger seeing the door handle come pa...

Attributes
ACN	329688
Time
Date	199603
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : kae
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6800
ASRS Report	329688
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was flying a C206 on part 135 scheduled flight from juneau, ak, to kake, ak. The sky was clear with flight visibility unrestr. It was an airmet out for occasional moderate turbulence below 6000 ft and the wind was coming out of northeast. The flight takes about 45 mins. About 30 mins out, we were cruising along at 7500 ft when we suddenly hit some moderate to severe turbulence. My immediate actions was to pitch up to slow the aircraft down and at the same time gain some altitude to get out of the turbulence. The passenger sitting directly behind me, gets my attention to tell me that something is wrong with the back door. I turn around and look and both the passenger and cargo door is closed at this time, but the passenger sitting next to the door in the back has a grip on the cargo door handle. That's when the cargo door blew open. I first thought he did something to make the door open in-flight. But according to him, something happened when we hit the turbulence that made the cargo door handle open part way, and he was trying to close it when the incident occurred. I notified dispatch about what happened and we landed safely at our destination. Nobody was hurt.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR EXPERIENCED MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB. HIS PAX SEEING THE DOOR HANDLE COME PARTLY OPEN ATTEMPTED TO HOLD THE HANDLE CLOSED. THE DOOR CAME OPEN ANYWAY.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A C206 ON PART 135 SCHEDULED FLT FROM JUNEAU, AK, TO KAKE, AK. THE SKY WAS CLR WITH FLT VISIBILITY UNRESTR. IT WAS AN AIRMET OUT FOR OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURB BELOW 6000 FT AND THE WIND WAS COMING OUT OF NE. THE FLT TAKES ABOUT 45 MINS. ABOUT 30 MINS OUT, WE WERE CRUISING ALONG AT 7500 FT WHEN WE SUDDENLY HIT SOME MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB. MY IMMEDIATE ACTIONS WAS TO PITCH UP TO SLOW THE ACFT DOWN AND AT THE SAME TIME GAIN SOME ALT TO GET OUT OF THE TURB. THE PAX SITTING DIRECTLY BEHIND ME, GETS MY ATTN TO TELL ME THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE BACK DOOR. I TURN AROUND AND LOOK AND BOTH THE PAX AND CARGO DOOR IS CLOSED AT THIS TIME, BUT THE PAX SITTING NEXT TO THE DOOR IN THE BACK HAS A GRIP ON THE CARGO DOOR HANDLE. THAT'S WHEN THE CARGO DOOR BLEW OPEN. I FIRST THOUGHT HE DID SOMETHING TO MAKE THE DOOR OPEN INFLT. BUT ACCORDING TO HIM, SOMETHING HAPPENED WHEN WE HIT THE TURB THAT MADE THE CARGO DOOR HANDLE OPEN PART WAY, AND HE WAS TRYING TO CLOSE IT WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. I NOTIFIED DISPATCH ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND WE LANDED SAFELY AT OUR DEST. NOBODY WAS HURT.

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.

The reporter experienced moderate to severe turbulence. His passenger seeing the door handle come partly open attempted to hold the handle closed. The door came open anyway.