Wing engine nacelle cargo locker open in flight due damaged latch mechanism.

Attributes
ACN	120708
Time
Date	198908
Day	Fri
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ckh airport : hnl
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 6300 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	120708
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After leveling off at 1500' MSL, the left wing locker seemed to trail open 2'. Since the locker was empty and there were no adverse flight characteristics, the flight was continued. Upon landing the spring of the spring-loaded latch was found rusted through. This will leave the door latch in an almost flush position and locked appearance. Normal operation will have the latch stick up under a 70 degree angle. Contributing factors in this case: last minute boarding of passenger and baggage; handling of the baggage doors (5) by people other than the pilot (in this case it was the president/pilot/owner); no warning system for the nose locker doors (2) and wing locker doors (2); and locking mechanism of all doors match the paint scheme of the aircraft and is therefore hard to detect.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WING ENGINE NACELLE CARGO LOCKER OPEN IN FLT DUE DAMAGED LATCH MECHANISM.

Narrative: AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 1500' MSL, THE LEFT WING LOCKER SEEMED TO TRAIL OPEN 2'. SINCE THE LOCKER WAS EMPTY AND THERE WERE NO ADVERSE FLT CHARACTERISTICS, THE FLT WAS CONTINUED. UPON LNDG THE SPRING OF THE SPRING-LOADED LATCH WAS FOUND RUSTED THROUGH. THIS WILL LEAVE THE DOOR LATCH IN AN ALMOST FLUSH POS AND LOCKED APPEARANCE. NORMAL OPERATION WILL HAVE THE LATCH STICK UP UNDER A 70 DEG ANGLE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS CASE: LAST MINUTE BOARDING OF PAX AND BAGGAGE; HANDLING OF THE BAGGAGE DOORS (5) BY PEOPLE OTHER THAN THE PLT (IN THIS CASE IT WAS THE PRESIDENT/PLT/OWNER); NO WARNING SYS FOR THE NOSE LOCKER DOORS (2) AND WING LOCKER DOORS (2); AND LOCKING MECHANISM OF ALL DOORS MATCH THE PAINT SCHEME OF THE ACFT AND IS THEREFORE HARD TO DETECT.

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.