Shock! Horror! Door pops open!

"Gig 601XL Builder" wr.giacona@coxDOTnet wrote in message
news:kea7e.37$nh1.2@okepread03...
Here's my bet... The door came unlatched. the 2 cops sitting in the back
seat freaked and pushed someone into the yokes while they were trying to
close the door.

Might not have even required a push on the yoke. The dive might not have
been nearly as dramatic as the terrified passenger(s) describe (interesting
that the reports don't include any quotes from the pilot(s)), and a couple
of people rushing forward would be enough to adjust the trim to a descent.

I've had trim trouble just from a rear seat passenger reclining his seat.
An actual movement of two people within the cabin would cause a significant
change in pitch, in a small airplane like the one in this incident.

Whatever the cause, it's pretty clear that the door popping open was
certainly not a direct cause of the descent. Only panic could have caused
that. On whose part, we may never know.

Pete

The door on my Cherokee popped open once shortly after take-off with my wife
and kids aboard. I think the pilot isolation switch on my intercom saved us
all.


"Mike Granby" wrote in message
ups.com...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4439341.stm

If the door of an Aztec pops open, it will only open about 4-6 inches and
will kind of oscillate back and forth between those extremes. Causes some
tail feather buffeting. Anyone trying to pull the door shut is fighting air
pressure and wasting his or her time.

Bob Gardner

"Mike Granby" wrote in message
ups.com...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4439341.stm

Bob Gardner Apr 13, 8:52 am show options

Newsgroups: rec.aviation.piloting
From: "Bob Gardner" - Find messages by this author

Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 08:52:22 -0700
Local: Wed,Apr 13 2005 8:52 am
Subject: Shock! Horror! Door pops open!
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If the door of an Aztec pops open, it will only open about 4-6 inches
and
will kind of oscillate back and forth between those extremes
************************************************** ****************************8

Same on the Apache when the CFI in the right seat apparently couldn't
close a door reliably... Non event - and I was in no hurry to land as
he was the one getting his butt frozen (that's called 'behavior
modification')...
Since then however, I let no one close the cabin door but me...
Actually ticked off one high time, ace pilot (in his own mind) when he
slammed and locked the door against my clear instruction that I would
close the door, I reached over and opened the door then re-closed it
myself... He never asked to fly again... ah well....

Denny

On 13 Apr 2005 11:03:27 -0700, "Denny" wrote:

Bob Gardner Apr 13, 8:52 am show options

Newsgroups: rec.aviation.piloting
From: "Bob Gardner" - Find messages by this author

Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 08:52:22 -0700
Local: Wed,Apr 13 2005 8:52 am
Subject: Shock! Horror! Door pops open!
Reply | Reply to Author | Forward | Print | Individual Message | Show
original | Report Abuse

If the door of an Aztec pops open, it will only open about 4-6 inches
and
will kind of oscillate back and forth between those extremes
************************************************* *****************************8

Same on the Apache when the CFI in the right seat apparently couldn't
close a door reliably... Non event - and I was in no hurry to land as
he was the one getting his butt frozen (that's called 'behavior
modification')...
Since then however, I let no one close the cabin door but me...

As the person in the right seat sits down I emphatically state, "I'll
get the door", unless he or she is already reaching and then it's a
fast "I'LL GET THE DOOR!"


Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
Actually ticked off one high time, ace pilot (in his own mind) when he
slammed and locked the door against my clear instruction that I would
close the door, I reached over and opened the door then re-closed it
myself... He never asked to fly again... ah well....

Denny

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 08:52:22 -0700, "Bob Gardner"
wrote:

If the door of an Aztec pops open, it will only open about 4-6 inches and
will kind of oscillate back and forth between those extremes. Causes some
tail feather buffeting. Anyone trying to pull the door shut is fighting air
pressure and wasting his or her time.

Bob Gardner


That's what I wondered. They probably didn't realise they couldn't
close the door in flight, and kept trying. They'd likely be unhappy
to be told that they could have just sat there doing nothing and the
flight wouldn't have changed a bit.

Corky Scott

Corky Scott wrote:

On Wed, 13 Apr 2005 08:52:22 -0700, "Bob Gardner"
wrote:


If the door of an Aztec pops open, it will only open about 4-6 inches and
will kind of oscillate back and forth between those extremes. Causes some
tail feather buffeting. Anyone trying to pull the door shut is fighting air
pressure and wasting his or her time.

Bob Gardner



That's what I wondered. They probably didn't realise they couldn't
close the door in flight, and kept trying. They'd likely be unhappy
to be told that they could have just sat there doing nothing and the
flight wouldn't have changed a bit.

You can close the door in flight. I did it on a Warrior once and that
was from the pilot seat reaching over.
Unless a Warrior is that different from an Aztec, which I haven't flown.

Corky Scott writes:

That's what I wondered. They probably didn't realise they couldn't
close the door in flight, and kept trying. They'd likely be unhappy
to be told that they could have just sat there doing nothing and the
flight wouldn't have changed a bit.

My experience is that holding it (close to) closed makes the ride
*much* nicer. I've not had the door pop open when I've been flying
alone. It'd be interesting.

Anyone want to talk about the piece of piano wire that actuates the
Aztec's door pins?

--kyler

Kyler Laird wrote:
My experience is that holding it (close to) closed makes the ride
*much* nicer. I've not had the door pop open when I've been flying
alone. It'd be interesting.


It's pretty much a non-event. It's annoying, noisy, and sometimes wet. I flew
an Arrow in hard IFR from Key West to Rock Hill, SC once with the damned door
popped open. No biggie except in the rain showers. Then a real PITA. I hate
getting rained on.... particularly at 130 knots.




--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

"Mortimer Schnerd, RN" writes:

Kyler Laird wrote:
My experience is that holding it (close to) closed makes the ride
*much* nicer. I've not had the door pop open when I've been flying
alone. It'd be interesting.

It's pretty much a non-event.

Do you have any relevant experience to support that? The times it's
happened to me I have certainly not enjoyed the instant (external)
shaking of the controls which got worse as the door was allowed to
move freely.

It's annoying, noisy, and sometimes wet. I flew
an Arrow in hard IFR from Key West to Rock Hill, SC once with the damned door
popped open.

Perhaps you're thinking that the Aztec and Arrow have similar airframes.
They don't. (The Seneca is close though.)

--kyler