A C340 pilot had the left front baggage door come open on takeoff roll. He aborted and ran off the e...

Attributes
ACN	735663
Time
Date	200704
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 340/340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1150 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	735663
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical excursion : runway
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

As the airplane rotated off the ground the left front baggage door came open. I aborted the takeoff. I reduced power to idle and applied brakes maintained control and ran off the runway 9L straight into the grass. I aborted the takeoff for these reasons: 1) I believed I had enough runway to stop safely. 2) if I continued the takeoff and the door came off it could hit the propeller and then I would be single engine at takeoff. 3) I may have damaged a flight control surface. 4) the baggage could have fallen out and injured someone below. I probably could have stopped the plane on the runway if I had applied tremendous braking but my speed was slow enough that I could see and avoid any obstacles and not do any damage to the people; airport or airplane. If I had applied braking to stop short I could have blown out a tire and ended up sideways and crossing the parallel runway. The cause of the door coming open was a loose screw on the back side in the rotating key lock allowing the latch to rotate; 1 of the 2 spring loaded latches are weak and did not prevent the door from coming open. A closer inspection of the baggage door latch at preflight may have prevented the entire situation. Both the spring loaded and rotating latch will be repaired.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C340 PILOT HAD THE LEFT FRONT BAGGAGE DOOR COME OPEN ON TAKEOFF ROLL. HE ABORTED AND RAN OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY.

Narrative: AS THE AIRPLANE ROTATED OFF THE GND THE L FRONT BAGGAGE DOOR CAME OPEN. I ABORTED THE TKOF. I REDUCED PWR TO IDLE AND APPLIED BRAKES MAINTAINED CTL AND RAN OFF THE RWY 9L STRAIGHT INTO THE GRASS. I ABORTED THE TKOF FOR THESE REASONS: 1) I BELIEVED I HAD ENOUGH RWY TO STOP SAFELY. 2) IF I CONTINUED THE TKOF AND THE DOOR CAME OFF IT COULD HIT THE PROP AND THEN I WOULD BE SINGLE ENG AT TKOF. 3) I MAY HAVE DAMAGED A FLT CTL SURFACE. 4) THE BAGGAGE COULD HAVE FALLEN OUT AND INJURED SOMEONE BELOW. I PROBABLY COULD HAVE STOPPED THE PLANE ON THE RWY IF I HAD APPLIED TREMENDOUS BRAKING BUT MY SPD WAS SLOW ENOUGH THAT I COULD SEE AND AVOID ANY OBSTACLES AND NOT DO ANY DAMAGE TO THE PEOPLE; ARPT OR AIRPLANE. IF I HAD APPLIED BRAKING TO STOP SHORT I COULD HAVE BLOWN OUT A TIRE AND ENDED UP SIDEWAYS AND XING THE PARALLEL RWY. THE CAUSE OF THE DOOR COMING OPEN WAS A LOOSE SCREW ON THE BACK SIDE IN THE ROTATING KEY LOCK ALLOWING THE LATCH TO ROTATE; 1 OF THE 2 SPRING LOADED LATCHES ARE WEAK AND DID NOT PREVENT THE DOOR FROM COMING OPEN. A CLOSER INSPECTION OF THE BAGGAGE DOOR LATCH AT PREFLT MAY HAVE PREVENTED THE ENTIRE SITUATION. BOTH THE SPRING LOADED AND ROTATING LATCH WILL BE REPAIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

A C340 pilot had the left front baggage door come open on takeoff roll. He aborted and ran off the end of the runway.