Narrative:

I left lost prairie/carson private airport with pilot, 4 passenger and baggage from a 3-DAY weight with a reduced fuel load. As PIC, I supervised loading of baggage, but did not check to be sure the cargo door of the small aircraft was latched and locked. Density altitude was high at time of takeoff (80-85 degree F, 3550 field elevation and slight tailwind). I executed a maximum performance takeoff in the small aircraft. I turned for a downwind departure from runway 31 and crossed over the airport at 1500 AGL to 'wag the wings' to the friends on the ground. We then continued southwesterly to pick up the airway and contact ATC for IFR clearance to boeing field, seattle. Lost prairie local ground radio called me and said my cargo door had been observed open during my climbout and 'wave', and I should return for landing to check it. I was able to observe the outside of the door from mirrors affixed to the outside of the aircraft wing by the manufacturer for the purpose of observing landing gear condition. My rear seat passenger viewed the inside of the cargo door. I determined that the door was closed, but did a precautionary fly-by at 500 AGL. At that time ground observers radioed that the door appeared closed. I then decided to proceed on course, since a landing would have necessitated a second high density altitude takeoff. About 10 mins later at 6000-6500 and after receiving my IFR clearance, the front seat passenger noticed through the wing mirrors that the cargo door was opened. I informed ATC of a possible problem, slowed the aircraft, slipped toward the left (the cargo door side) and the rear seat passenger pulled the door closed. No further trouble with the door was noted through the rest of the flight. Upon landing, I checked the door first. It was latched and locked. After opening it with the key, I discovered that the red passenger overnight bag which had been packed closest to the outside was missing. (That bag was later discovered about 500' from the departure end of runway 31 at lost prairie). I feel that I should have taken a more active role in loading baggage instead of just supervising. Also a more thorough preflight check of the door just prior to boarding passenger might have ensured that the door remained closed and locked. Also a more prudent course of action would have been a precautionary landing after I had been informed of the first opening in flight. A factor in my making possible incorrect judgements was fatigue after 3 busy days and nights of camping, skydiving and visiting with old friends in montana.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF LIGHT ACFT FAILS TO CHECK AND SECURE BAGGAGE DOOR. LOSES SOME LUGGAGE.

Narrative: I LEFT LOST PRAIRIE/CARSON PRIVATE ARPT WITH PLT, 4 PAX AND BAGGAGE FROM A 3-DAY WEIGHT WITH A REDUCED FUEL LOAD. AS PIC, I SUPERVISED LOADING OF BAGGAGE, BUT DID NOT CHECK TO BE SURE THE CARGO DOOR OF THE SMA WAS LATCHED AND LOCKED. DENSITY ALT WAS HIGH AT TIME OF TKOF (80-85 DEG F, 3550 FIELD ELEVATION AND SLIGHT TAILWIND). I EXECUTED A MAX PERFORMANCE TKOF IN THE SMA. I TURNED FOR A DOWNWIND DEP FROM RWY 31 AND CROSSED OVER THE ARPT AT 1500 AGL TO 'WAG THE WINGS' TO THE FRIENDS ON THE GND. WE THEN CONTINUED SOUTHWESTERLY TO PICK UP THE AIRWAY AND CONTACT ATC FOR IFR CLRNC TO BOEING FIELD, SEATTLE. LOST PRAIRIE LCL GND RADIO CALLED ME AND SAID MY CARGO DOOR HAD BEEN OBSERVED OPEN DURING MY CLIMBOUT AND 'WAVE', AND I SHOULD RETURN FOR LNDG TO CHECK IT. I WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR FROM MIRRORS AFFIXED TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT WING BY THE MANUFACTURER FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBSERVING LNDG GEAR CONDITION. MY REAR SEAT PAX VIEWED THE INSIDE OF THE CARGO DOOR. I DETERMINED THAT THE DOOR WAS CLOSED, BUT DID A PRECAUTIONARY FLY-BY AT 500 AGL. AT THAT TIME GND OBSERVERS RADIOED THAT THE DOOR APPEARED CLOSED. I THEN DECIDED TO PROCEED ON COURSE, SINCE A LNDG WOULD HAVE NECESSITATED A SECOND HIGH DENSITY ALT TKOF. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER AT 6000-6500 AND AFTER RECEIVING MY IFR CLRNC, THE FRONT SEAT PAX NOTICED THROUGH THE WING MIRRORS THAT THE CARGO DOOR WAS OPENED. I INFORMED ATC OF A POSSIBLE PROBLEM, SLOWED THE ACFT, SLIPPED TOWARD THE LEFT (THE CARGO DOOR SIDE) AND THE REAR SEAT PAX PULLED THE DOOR CLOSED. NO FURTHER TROUBLE WITH THE DOOR WAS NOTED THROUGH THE REST OF THE FLT. UPON LNDG, I CHECKED THE DOOR FIRST. IT WAS LATCHED AND LOCKED. AFTER OPENING IT WITH THE KEY, I DISCOVERED THAT THE RED PAX OVERNIGHT BAG WHICH HAD BEEN PACKED CLOSEST TO THE OUTSIDE WAS MISSING. (THAT BAG WAS LATER DISCOVERED ABOUT 500' FROM THE DEP END OF RWY 31 AT LOST PRAIRIE). I FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A MORE ACTIVE ROLE IN LOADING BAGGAGE INSTEAD OF JUST SUPERVISING. ALSO A MORE THOROUGH PREFLT CHECK OF THE DOOR JUST PRIOR TO BOARDING PAX MIGHT HAVE ENSURED THAT THE DOOR REMAINED CLOSED AND LOCKED. ALSO A MORE PRUDENT COURSE OF ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AFTER I HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FIRST OPENING IN FLT. A FACTOR IN MY MAKING POSSIBLE INCORRECT JUDGEMENTS WAS FATIGUE AFTER 3 BUSY DAYS AND NIGHTS OF CAMPING, SKYDIVING AND VISITING WITH OLD FRIENDS IN MONTANA.

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.