Narrative:

Aircraft was an small transport. Preflight check was complete, but the improperly latched door was not detected. After rotation wind noise became excessive and radio was very hard to understand. During the search for the noise source, I inadvertently delayed turning to the assigned 280 degree heading from runway heading until reaching assigned altitude. At that time I was with departure, who instructed me to turn left to a heading of 280 degrees. The door opened while the turn was in progress. I informed ATC and requested vectors back to crystal for landing. ATC gave me a 220 degree heading and handed me back to the tower. The landing was accomplished west/O further incident and the only damage was a slightly windblown hairdo. There was only a slight strain on passenger nerves, but if ATC had not turned me in time there could have been an unauthorized TCA incursion. I chose to contact departure when instructed by the tower because I was uncertain about my ability to remain VFR at pattern altitude and thought an instrument approach might be needed to get back into crystal. Further, at that point I had not yet positively idented the source of the noise and suspected I might need more altitude as soon as possible. I have resolved that I will personally close all aircraft doors in the future instead of allowing the right seat occupant to do it and checking it later. It is too easy to misjudge the door condition when it is already closed. If I, myself, slam the door firmly and latch it myself and feel the latches engage, I am more certain that it is closed properly. The turn to assigned heading should have been started at pattern altitude. The inadvertent delay was caused by added cockpit stress. The door reclosed properly on the ground and the flight was restarted and completed west/O further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT MADE TKOF WITH CABIN DOOR NOT PROPERLY LATCHED. DURING DISTR PLT FAILED TO TURN AS CLEARED COMING CLOSE TO MSP TCA.

Narrative: ACFT WAS AN SMT. PREFLT CHK WAS COMPLETE, BUT THE IMPROPERLY LATCHED DOOR WAS NOT DETECTED. AFTER ROTATION WIND NOISE BECAME EXCESSIVE AND RADIO WAS VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND. DURING THE SEARCH FOR THE NOISE SOURCE, I INADVERTENTLY DELAYED TURNING TO THE ASSIGNED 280 DEG HDG FROM RWY HDG UNTIL REACHING ASSIGNED ALT. AT THAT TIME I WAS WITH DEP, WHO INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN LEFT TO A HDG OF 280 DEGS. THE DOOR OPENED WHILE THE TURN WAS IN PROGRESS. I INFORMED ATC AND REQUESTED VECTORS BACK TO CRYSTAL FOR LNDG. ATC GAVE ME A 220 DEG HDG AND HANDED ME BACK TO THE TWR. THE LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT AND THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS A SLIGHTLY WINDBLOWN HAIRDO. THERE WAS ONLY A SLIGHT STRAIN ON PAX NERVES, BUT IF ATC HAD NOT TURNED ME IN TIME THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN UNAUTH TCA INCURSION. I CHOSE TO CONTACT DEP WHEN INSTRUCTED BY THE TWR BECAUSE I WAS UNCERTAIN ABOUT MY ABILITY TO REMAIN VFR AT PATTERN ALT AND THOUGHT AN INSTRUMENT APCH MIGHT BE NEEDED TO GET BACK INTO CRYSTAL. FURTHER, AT THAT POINT I HAD NOT YET POSITIVELY IDENTED THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE AND SUSPECTED I MIGHT NEED MORE ALT ASAP. I HAVE RESOLVED THAT I WILL PERSONALLY CLOSE ALL ACFT DOORS IN THE FUTURE INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THE RIGHT SEAT OCCUPANT TO DO IT AND CHKING IT LATER. IT IS TOO EASY TO MISJUDGE THE DOOR CONDITION WHEN IT IS ALREADY CLOSED. IF I, MYSELF, SLAM THE DOOR FIRMLY AND LATCH IT MYSELF AND FEEL THE LATCHES ENGAGE, I AM MORE CERTAIN THAT IT IS CLOSED PROPERLY. THE TURN TO ASSIGNED HDG SHOULD HAVE BEEN STARTED AT PATTERN ALT. THE INADVERTENT DELAY WAS CAUSED BY ADDED COCKPIT STRESS. THE DOOR RECLOSED PROPERLY ON THE GND AND THE FLT WAS RESTARTED AND COMPLETED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.