Narrative:

A few seconds after takeoff, passengers began trying to get my attention. As there was no immediate indication of a problem, I continued climbing to a safe altitude. At about 500 AGL, I began to look around and observed something blue being extruded from the left wing-locker door crack. I advised the tower that I was returning to the airport and was cleared to land. After shutdown, I found that a blue plastic shopping bag was partially extruded from the door crack. The bag was full of unknown contents, which prevented it from being completely sucked out by the low pressure in this area during flight. I repositioned the bag in the wing-locker away from the door crack and continued the flight. This is the second time I have had a similar occurrence in PA31 aircraft. Over time, the wing-locker doors develop a convex set to them which prevents them from sealing completely. There is no danger from this time of occurrence, except the distraction to the pilot from the passengers during a critical phase of flight. This incident could be prevented by a redesign of the door or more careful loading procedures. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that he has flown around 20 different examples of this aircraft and that each of them had similar problems to a greater or lesser degree. He does not feel the security of the door itself is in jeopardy, but has seen as much as 1/2 inch of gap between the nacelle proper and the door itself.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF PA31 ADVISES RECURRENT PROB WITH OVERWING BAGGAGE LOCKER DOORS NOT SEALING. ITEMS WITHIN TEND TO GET SUCKED OUT BY THE LOW PRESSURE AIR.

Narrative: A FEW SECONDS AFTER TKOF, PASSENGERS BEGAN TRYING TO GET MY ATTENTION. AS THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE INDICATION OF A PROB, I CONTINUED CLBING TO A SAFE ALT. AT ABOUT 500 AGL, I BEGAN TO LOOK AROUND AND OBSERVED SOMETHING BLUE BEING EXTRUDED FROM THE L WING-LOCKER DOOR CRACK. I ADVISED THE TWR THAT I WAS RETURNING TO THE ARPT AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. AFTER SHUTDOWN, I FOUND THAT A BLUE PLASTIC SHOPPING BAG WAS PARTIALLY EXTRUDED FROM THE DOOR CRACK. THE BAG WAS FULL OF UNKNOWN CONTENTS, WHICH PREVENTED IT FROM BEING COMPLETELY SUCKED OUT BY THE LOW PRESSURE IN THIS AREA DURING FLT. I REPOSITIONED THE BAG IN THE WING-LOCKER AWAY FROM THE DOOR CRACK AND CONTINUED THE FLT. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE IN PA31 ACFT. OVER TIME, THE WING-LOCKER DOORS DEVELOP A CONVEX SET TO THEM WHICH PREVENTS THEM FROM SEALING COMPLETELY. THERE IS NO DANGER FROM THIS TIME OF OCCURRENCE, EXCEPT THE DISTRACTION TO THE PLT FROM THE PASSENGERS DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. THIS INCIDENT COULD BE PREVENTED BY A REDESIGN OF THE DOOR OR MORE CAREFUL LOADING PROCS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT HE HAS FLOWN AROUND 20 DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF THIS ACFT AND THAT EACH OF THEM HAD SIMILAR PROBS TO A GREATER OR LESSER DEG. HE DOES NOT FEEL THE SECURITY OF THE DOOR ITSELF IS IN JEOPARDY, BUT HAS SEEN AS MUCH AS 1/2 INCH OF GAP BTWN THE NACELLE PROPER AND THE DOOR ITSELF.

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.