Charter small transport lost compartment access door on takeoff. Return land.

Attributes
ACN	107597
Time
Date	198903
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : oak
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 50
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : oak tower : iah
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	107597
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Aircraft preflted at night by flashlight and local floodlights. Right forward access panel to heater compartment appeared secure. During takeoff, panel separated from aircraft. Upon landing found one dzus fastener still on aircraft. Panel normally secured by about 20 dzus fasteners. Investigation appears that earlier maintenance check failed to lock all dzus fasteners. This type of fastener does not stick out very far when open (approximately 1/8'), and in dark were not observed open. Pilots should verify by touch when possible. It should be noted that this pilot 'felt' prior to takeoff, that the preflight actions were thorough complete and unhurried. Approximately 15 mins were devoted to this action. Further, the white paint of the fuselage did not contrast with the open dzus fittings. Finally, it should be added that we are unable to confirm dzus fittings' position prior to sep, but only 1 was found damaged and the rest were still on panel and intact.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER SMT LOST COMPARTMENT ACCESS DOOR ON TKOF. RETURN LAND.

Narrative: ACFT PREFLTED AT NIGHT BY FLASHLIGHT AND LCL FLOODLIGHTS. RIGHT FORWARD ACCESS PANEL TO HEATER COMPARTMENT APPEARED SECURE. DURING TKOF, PANEL SEPARATED FROM ACFT. UPON LNDG FOUND ONE DZUS FASTENER STILL ON ACFT. PANEL NORMALLY SECURED BY ABOUT 20 DZUS FASTENERS. INVESTIGATION APPEARS THAT EARLIER MAINT CHK FAILED TO LOCK ALL DZUS FASTENERS. THIS TYPE OF FASTENER DOES NOT STICK OUT VERY FAR WHEN OPEN (APPROX 1/8'), AND IN DARK WERE NOT OBSERVED OPEN. PLTS SHOULD VERIFY BY TOUCH WHEN POSSIBLE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS PLT 'FELT' PRIOR TO TKOF, THAT THE PREFLT ACTIONS WERE THOROUGH COMPLETE AND UNHURRIED. APPROX 15 MINS WERE DEVOTED TO THIS ACTION. FURTHER, THE WHITE PAINT OF THE FUSELAGE DID NOT CONTRAST WITH THE OPEN DZUS FITTINGS. FINALLY, IT SHOULD BE ADDED THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO CONFIRM DZUS FITTINGS' POSITION PRIOR TO SEP, BUT ONLY 1 WAS FOUND DAMAGED AND THE REST WERE STILL ON PANEL AND INTACT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.