Doors popping open in flight

Beech Bonanza and Baron cabin doors are a very minor
problem. On the Baron the nose baggage door is another
matter. A service bulletin (and recent production
airplanes have a third safety catch which prevent the nose
door from opening more than about 1-2 inches, there is also
a net to secure baggage.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Roger" wrote in message
...
| On Fri, 19 May 2006 09:04:51 -0400, "bob" wrote:
|
| How serious is it on small twin engines with only one
door? Or with 2
| doors, for that matter?
|
| Unless they've changed when it comes to Bonanzas and
Barons the
| official word from the Air Safety Foundation and American
Bonanza
| Society is either land and close it, or leave it alone
until you get
| to your destination otherwise they consider it *should* be
a
| non-issue.
|
| They had lost enough pilots and passengers due to pilot
distraction
| trying to close a door that they have one sentence that
covers it.
| "Don't try to close the door in flight!" and they devoted
a section of
| in the Bo/Baron specific training to that so every one had
a door pop
| open at take off or on climb out. In the Deb it sounds
like a shotgun
| from close range. OTOH that is the cleanest the floor
has ever been
| in there, but it was briefly IMC in the cockpit.
|
| Each plane is different. Adhere to what ever the
manufacture, or
| pilots group says.
|
|
| A friend of mine tells me that he once had a twin engine
Piper crash to
| investigate due to ditching. It was later learned upon
the conclusion of
| the investigation that a passenger in the back seat was
trying to switch
| places with someone in the front and the door
inadvertently popped open. At
| that point the investigator determined, from his own
similar experience,
| that the plane sunk like a rock due to critical
disruption of the airflow
| to that could not be corrected in flight.
| --The door could not be closed again!---
|
| In many planes this is normal. In a Bonanza and Baron the
door is
| part of the structure and when it pops open there is over
an inch of
| mismatch.
|
|
| As for my friend with his similar experience, his
friend's hand was all
| bloody from trying to hold it closed as much as he could.
Fortunately, they
|
| This is a prime example of not knowing what should be done
along with
| wasted time and pain. Unless they are gull type doors
they are going
| no where with no need to try to hold it closed.
|
| made a safe emergency landing at an island the just
happened to be nearby.
|
| I've only flow small single engines and had NO IDEA how
serious this could
| be. They don't teach you that in flight school. Or is
it because single
|
| It's normally a non issue with trainers, but I can't speak
for all
| trainers.
|
| engines with only one door do not react the same as the
twins.
|
| Some do and some don't.
|
|
| Tell me the straight skinny so I know next time I go
flying.
|
| The only way to know for sure is to read the POH and
consult the
| manufacturer, (and/or) pilot/owner groups.
|
| The number one problem with doors popping open in flight
is pilot
| distraction. Just ask the Air Safety Foundation.
|
| Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
| (N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
| www.rogerhalstead.com
| Thanks
|