BA3200 flight crew aborts takeoff when door opens on takeoff roll.

Attributes
ACN	345152
Time
Date	199608
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bgm
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Jetstream 32
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 1850 flight time type : 2900
ASRS Report	345152
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During takeoff roll at approximately 90 KTS, there was a loud popping sound accompanied by a dramatic increase in the cabin noise level. Takeoff was immediately aborted. There were no warning lights to indicate the nature of the problem. Inspection by the first officer showed that the main cabin door had opened and had sustained enough damage that it could not be closed again. The aircraft, however, was safe to taxi, so we returned to the gate and deplaned the passenger. Inspection by maintenance crew found that the cabin door warning circuit breaker was faulty, which explained why there was no master caution warning. As to why the door opened the most reasonable explanation is that the door handle was up but not fully engaged. Had the door handle been in the down (open) position the door would almost certainly opened before the takeoff roll since I had to make 3 sharp 90 degree right turns to get to the runway. The centrifugal force on the door during those turns would have made the problem apparent. Had the handle been up and fully engaged (assuming the door was not faulty) the door would not have opened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BA3200 FLC ABORTS TKOF WHEN DOOR OPENS ON TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: DURING TKOF ROLL AT APPROX 90 KTS, THERE WAS A LOUD POPPING SOUND ACCOMPANIED BY A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE CABIN NOISE LEVEL. TKOF WAS IMMEDIATELY ABORTED. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS TO INDICATE THE NATURE OF THE PROB. INSPECTION BY THE FO SHOWED THAT THE MAIN CABIN DOOR HAD OPENED AND HAD SUSTAINED ENOUGH DAMAGE THAT IT COULD NOT BE CLOSED AGAIN. THE ACFT, HOWEVER, WAS SAFE TO TAXI, SO WE RETURNED TO THE GATE AND DEPLANED THE PAX. INSPECTION BY MAINT CREW FOUND THAT THE CABIN DOOR WARNING CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS FAULTY, WHICH EXPLAINED WHY THERE WAS NO MASTER CAUTION WARNING. AS TO WHY THE DOOR OPENED THE MOST REASONABLE EXPLANATION IS THAT THE DOOR HANDLE WAS UP BUT NOT FULLY ENGAGED. HAD THE DOOR HANDLE BEEN IN THE DOWN (OPEN) POS THE DOOR WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY OPENED BEFORE THE TKOF ROLL SINCE I HAD TO MAKE 3 SHARP 90 DEG R TURNS TO GET TO THE RWY. THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE ON THE DOOR DURING THOSE TURNS WOULD HAVE MADE THE PROB APPARENT. HAD THE HANDLE BEEN UP AND FULLY ENGAGED (ASSUMING THE DOOR WAS NOT FAULTY) THE DOOR WOULD NOT HAVE OPENED.

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.