Narrative:

After takeoff I got an 'open door' annunciation and heard loud sound of rushing air. Told tower I was returning to land. In my anxiety I turned base leg too soon. I crossed midfield to come around again. This time was better but still high and fast. I should have gone around again but did not. The plane went off the end of the runway by about 15-20 ft and stopped in the grass. Contributing factor: knowledge that a door had opened in-flight on the same model plane and was blown off. If a blown away door impacts the tail the results could be fatal. This knowledge increased my anxiety. The problem was a faulty door switch, causing the false annunciation. The noise level, which concerned me far more than the door light itself was due to system design that prevents door seals from inflating if an open door is sensed. I allowed distrs to lead to a bad decision to land from a high approach when I should have gone around for a better approach. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the door warning circuitry was found at fault and it was a false warning. The reporter said when the light illuminated the circuitry will not allow the door seals to inflate pushing the door further open. The reporter stated the combination of warning light and noise resulted in one go around and a high and poorly planned approach. The reporter said the airplane went off the end of the runway about 20 ft and the only damage was a nicked propeller blade. The reporter stated the propeller blade was replaced and no engine damage was incurred. The reporter said an emergency was declared when the door warning light came on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LANCAIR 300 AFTER TKOF HAD 'OPEN DOOR' WARNING ANNUNCIATED WITH ASSOCIATED AIR NOISE. LANDED WITH HIGH APCH RESULTING IN RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF I GOT AN 'OPEN DOOR' ANNUNCIATION AND HEARD LOUD SOUND OF RUSHING AIR. TOLD TWR I WAS RETURNING TO LAND. IN MY ANXIETY I TURNED BASE LEG TOO SOON. I CROSSED MIDFIELD TO COME AROUND AGAIN. THIS TIME WAS BETTER BUT STILL HIGH AND FAST. I SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND AGAIN BUT DID NOT. THE PLANE WENT OFF THE END OF THE RWY BY ABOUT 15-20 FT AND STOPPED IN THE GRASS. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR: KNOWLEDGE THAT A DOOR HAD OPENED INFLT ON THE SAME MODEL PLANE AND WAS BLOWN OFF. IF A BLOWN AWAY DOOR IMPACTS THE TAIL THE RESULTS COULD BE FATAL. THIS KNOWLEDGE INCREASED MY ANXIETY. THE PROB WAS A FAULTY DOOR SWITCH, CAUSING THE FALSE ANNUNCIATION. THE NOISE LEVEL, WHICH CONCERNED ME FAR MORE THAN THE DOOR LIGHT ITSELF WAS DUE TO SYS DESIGN THAT PREVENTS DOOR SEALS FROM INFLATING IF AN OPEN DOOR IS SENSED. I ALLOWED DISTRS TO LEAD TO A BAD DECISION TO LAND FROM A HIGH APCH WHEN I SHOULD HAVE GONE AROUND FOR A BETTER APCH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE DOOR WARNING CIRCUITRY WAS FOUND AT FAULT AND IT WAS A FALSE WARNING. THE RPTR SAID WHEN THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE CIRCUITRY WILL NOT ALLOW THE DOOR SEALS TO INFLATE PUSHING THE DOOR FURTHER OPEN. THE RPTR STATED THE COMBINATION OF WARNING LIGHT AND NOISE RESULTED IN ONE GAR AND A HIGH AND POORLY PLANNED APCH. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WENT OFF THE END OF THE RWY ABOUT 20 FT AND THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS A NICKED PROP BLADE. THE RPTR STATED THE PROP BLADE WAS REPLACED AND NO ENG DAMAGE WAS INCURRED. THE RPTR SAID AN EMER WAS DECLARED WHEN THE DOOR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON.

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.