Narrative:

The flight was intended as a chkout for me. I have never flown an aeronautical commander before. Winds were strong and gusty, a slight left crosswind varying in heading. PIC was a CFI employed by the FBO which operated the leaseback aircraft. He was in the right seat, I in the left. Taxi and run-up/pre-takeoff checks were normal except that I had some difficulty closing the pilot's (left side) door securely since the first attempt inadvertently was made with the upper latch in the 'closed' position. After the third attempt, however, the door seemed securely fastened. I remember pushing or thumping the lower portion of the door, and the upper rear corner, both of which seemed solidly closed. The FBO co-owner, a passenger in the rear seat, observed this and made some remark like 'seems tight,' or words to that effect. I called for takeoff and was cleared. After normal acceleration, rotation and lift-off as the aircraft entered first segment climb, the left door blew open, at an altitude of about 20-40 ft AGL, as I recall. I immediately reduced power and called for an abort. I recall the check pilot/CFI calling 'watch your speed.' I lowered the nose, then raised it again to avoid diving into the runway. I flared hard and was in the process of starting to add power when the aircraft touched down, under control but in a tail-low altitude. The tail cone contacted the ground just before the main wheels, with sufficient force that the metal tailskid-tiedown fitting was found, on subsequent examination, to have been pushed up flush with the fiberglass undersurface, which showed signs of abrasion but did not seem substantially damaged.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ABORTED TKOF AT 20-40 FT AGL WHEN DOOR OPENED.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS INTENDED AS A CHKOUT FOR ME. I HAVE NEVER FLOWN AN AERO COMMANDER BEFORE. WINDS WERE STRONG AND GUSTY, A SLIGHT L XWIND VARYING IN HEADING. PIC WAS A CFI EMPLOYED BY THE FBO WHICH OPERATED THE LEASEBACK ACFT. HE WAS IN THE R SEAT, I IN THE L. TAXI AND RUN-UP/PRE-TKOF CHKS WERE NORMAL EXCEPT THAT I HAD SOME DIFFICULTY CLOSING THE PLT'S (L SIDE) DOOR SECURELY SINCE THE FIRST ATTEMPT INADVERTENTLY WAS MADE WITH THE UPPER LATCH IN THE 'CLOSED' POS. AFTER THE THIRD ATTEMPT, HOWEVER, THE DOOR SEEMED SECURELY FASTENED. I REMEMBER PUSHING OR THUMPING THE LOWER PORTION OF THE DOOR, AND THE UPPER REAR CORNER, BOTH OF WHICH SEEMED SOLIDLY CLOSED. THE FBO CO-OWNER, A PAX IN THE REAR SEAT, OBSERVED THIS AND MADE SOME REMARK LIKE 'SEEMS TIGHT,' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT. I CALLED FOR TKOF AND WAS CLRED. AFTER NORMAL ACCELERATION, ROTATION AND LIFT-OFF AS THE ACFT ENTERED FIRST SEGMENT CLB, THE L DOOR BLEW OPEN, AT AN ALT OF ABOUT 20-40 FT AGL, AS I RECALL. I IMMEDIATELY REDUCED PWR AND CALLED FOR AN ABORT. I RECALL THE CHK PLT/CFI CALLING 'WATCH YOUR SPD.' I LOWERED THE NOSE, THEN RAISED IT AGAIN TO AVOID DIVING INTO THE RWY. I FLARED HARD AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING TO ADD PWR WHEN THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN, UNDER CTL BUT IN A TAIL-LOW ALT. THE TAIL CONE CONTACTED THE GND JUST BEFORE THE MAIN WHEELS, WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE THAT THE METAL TAILSKID-TIEDOWN FITTING WAS FOUND, ON SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION, TO HAVE BEEN PUSHED UP FLUSH WITH THE FIBERGLASS UNDERSURFACE, WHICH SHOWED SIGNS OF ABRASION BUT DID NOT SEEM SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.

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.