Narrative:

It started when the front cabin door flew open on takeoff, on departure at approximately 500 ft AGL. An immediate request was made to tower to return for landing. I was instructed to make right traffic for runway 1. I went through my prelndg checklist, configuring the airplane for a normal landing. Due to the steep descent, I was in a steep right bank and concerned for the passenger seated next to the door and controling the airplane. The short final approach, to me, seemed normal with the airplane in the landing confign. Due to the short approach, the flight conditions and the distraction of the open door, I did not complete/remember completing my final landing check. I can still hear my instructor's words 'fly the airplane.' in the landing flare, I felt the airplane in ground effect like a normal landing and I was prepared for a good/smooth landing roll. The airplane pancaked and continued to move forward and I was unaware of what had just happened -- landing gear up. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a piper seneca PA34-200 and incurred damage to the lower fuselage and propellers. The reporter said she was not sure if the landing gear warning system, horn and lights, was operating. The reporter said hearing was impaired because of the open door and just could not be sure about the horn. The reporter stated the aircraft was jacked and the landing gear operated normally. The reporter said the landing gear warning horn and position indicating lights also operated normally. The reporter stated the FAA safety investigator has advised that the case is closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIPER PA34-200 WAS LANDED GEAR UP AFTER BEING DISTR BY AN OPEN CABIN DOOR.

Narrative: IT STARTED WHEN THE FRONT CABIN DOOR FLEW OPEN ON TKOF, ON DEP AT APPROX 500 FT AGL. AN IMMEDIATE REQUEST WAS MADE TO TWR TO RETURN FOR LNDG. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAKE R TFC FOR RWY 1. I WENT THROUGH MY PRELNDG CHKLIST, CONFIGURING THE AIRPLANE FOR A NORMAL LNDG. DUE TO THE STEEP DSCNT, I WAS IN A STEEP R BANK AND CONCERNED FOR THE PAX SEATED NEXT TO THE DOOR AND CTLING THE AIRPLANE. THE SHORT FINAL APCH, TO ME, SEEMED NORMAL WITH THE AIRPLANE IN THE LNDG CONFIGN. DUE TO THE SHORT APCH, THE FLT CONDITIONS AND THE DISTR OF THE OPEN DOOR, I DID NOT COMPLETE/REMEMBER COMPLETING MY FINAL LNDG CHK. I CAN STILL HEAR MY INSTRUCTOR'S WORDS 'FLY THE AIRPLANE.' IN THE LNDG FLARE, I FELT THE AIRPLANE IN GND EFFECT LIKE A NORMAL LNDG AND I WAS PREPARED FOR A GOOD/SMOOTH LNDG ROLL. THE AIRPLANE PANCAKED AND CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD AND I WAS UNAWARE OF WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED -- LNDG GEAR UP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A PIPER SENECA PA34-200 AND INCURRED DAMAGE TO THE LOWER FUSELAGE AND PROPS. THE RPTR SAID SHE WAS NOT SURE IF THE LNDG GEAR WARNING SYS, HORN AND LIGHTS, WAS OPERATING. THE RPTR SAID HEARING WAS IMPAIRED BECAUSE OF THE OPEN DOOR AND JUST COULD NOT BE SURE ABOUT THE HORN. THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS JACKED AND THE LNDG GEAR OPERATED NORMALLY. THE RPTR SAID THE LNDG GEAR WARNING HORN AND POS INDICATING LIGHTS ALSO OPERATED NORMALLY. THE RPTR STATED THE FAA SAFETY INVESTIGATOR HAS ADVISED THAT THE CASE IS CLOSED.

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.