After reading this thread I decided to put a multi-tool into my headphone
bag just in case MY Archer decides not to let me out. This also got me
thinking about something an instructor once said to me while we were
pre-flighting a 172. After I locked the baggage door per the checklist he
admitted he didn't totally agree with it. He preferred to have an extra out
if both main doors were jammed by a crash. At the time I thought Cessna was
trying to prevent some little kid from crawling into the baggage compartment
and making a tragic exit.

John mentioned using a screwdriver to open the baggage door from inside. Is
this easier if the baggage door is latched but not locked? Does locking
actually make the baggage door more secure in flight?
--
Regards,
Mike

http://mywebpage.netscape.com/amountainaero/fspic1.html
"PaulaJay1" wrote in message
...
Had a potentially bad experience in my Archer tonight. Wife and I flew to
dinner and returned to the home port about 5:20. Airport normally is open
till
sunset (which is 5:07 tonight) but as we taxied in, the lights in their
cars
went out and they came walking to my plane. I store in the big hanger and
they
came back to open it and put the plane away. I had ment to leave it out
and
have them put it away in the morning. Well, little wife is saying she
can't
open the door. I called to Don, the owner of the FBO, and he came over
and
tried the outside but couldn't get it open. It was then that I realized
that
the door had locked on its own. No way to unkock/open it from the inside.
I
passed out the key through the pilot window and they unlocked the door.
Later
I looked at the luggage door and there is no simple way to open it from
the
inside either. If we had landed a couple minutes later, they would have
been
gone and I would probably have a slightly broken plane. I'll never argue
high
wing/low wing but I have become an advocate of TWO doors.

Chuck