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A PA23 pilot forgets to latch the door correctly and suffers a difficult time when having to fly the aircraft around for a return landing. He was unable to close the door in-flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 404770 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199806 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iad |
| State Reference | DC |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 10 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : iad |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-23 Apache (& Geronimo Apache) |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff other other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9300 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 404770 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The door opened at rotation on takeoff. I continued takeoff instead of stopping ahead (which was possible even though I took off from an intersection). This proved to be a mistake since I could not close the door by myself in the aircraft. If there had been low IFR conditions this could have been a true problem. To avoid it, a better system of locking the door should have been designed into the aircraft (it's a 1950's PA23), flight characteristics of door ajar could have been improved (the plane is very adversely affected by a door open in-flight) and replace the pilot with one who remembers to check the door twice, that he failed to secure once. P.south. I returned and took off without incidence on return home.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA23 PLT FORGETS TO LATCH THE DOOR CORRECTLY AND SUFFERS A DIFFICULT TIME WHEN HAVING TO FLY THE ACFT AROUND FOR A RETURN LNDG. HE WAS UNABLE TO CLOSE THE DOOR INFLT.
Narrative: THE DOOR OPENED AT ROTATION ON TKOF. I CONTINUED TKOF INSTEAD OF STOPPING AHEAD (WHICH WAS POSSIBLE EVEN THOUGH I TOOK OFF FROM AN INTXN). THIS PROVED TO BE A MISTAKE SINCE I COULD NOT CLOSE THE DOOR BY MYSELF IN THE ACFT. IF THERE HAD BEEN LOW IFR CONDITIONS THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A TRUE PROB. TO AVOID IT, A BETTER SYS OF LOCKING THE DOOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESIGNED INTO THE ACFT (IT'S A 1950'S PA23), FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF DOOR AJAR COULD HAVE BEEN IMPROVED (THE PLANE IS VERY ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY A DOOR OPEN INFLT) AND REPLACE THE PLT WITH ONE WHO REMEMBERS TO CHK THE DOOR TWICE, THAT HE FAILED TO SECURE ONCE. P.S. I RETURNED AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT INCIDENCE ON RETURN HOME.
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.