Lh hydraulic access door blown off the aircraft when latch failed.

Attributes
ACN	167726
Time
Date	199012
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	167726
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Scheduled service check was complied with at lax all paperwork and maintenance procedure were complied with. Upon descent into palm springs left and and hydraulic access panel apparently departed the aircraft. Company paperwork was filed and quality check interview conducted. This is a recurring problem that I feel could be ended by mfg south/B issuance of a modification of door hinge positioning to the leading edge of door from the side where factory mount is. Also installation of stainless cooking hardware and receptacles instead of aluminum castings. Fighting corrosion of fasters is a problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Company has modified the latch with a stronger assembly with FAA approval. They are still having problems. The door assembly and hinge is in a curved area of the aircraft making it very tough to modify. Feels strongly the mfr should modify through a service bulletin, by getting the hinge in the forward area in line with the slipstream so in case the door opens it is not lost. FSDO office in fresno has reviewed the problem and closed the case. A secondary latch had been tried and proved to be ineffective.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LH HYDRAULIC ACCESS DOOR BLOWN OFF THE ACFT WHEN LATCH FAILED.

Narrative: SCHEDULED SVC CHK WAS COMPLIED WITH AT LAX ALL PAPERWORK AND MAINT PROC WERE COMPLIED WITH. UPON DSNT INTO PALM SPRINGS L AND AND HYD ACCESS PANEL APPARENTLY DEPARTED THE ACFT. COMPANY PAPERWORK WAS FILED AND QUALITY CHK INTERVIEW CONDUCTED. THIS IS A RECURRING PROB THAT I FEEL COULD BE ENDED BY MFG S/B ISSUANCE OF A MODIFICATION OF DOOR HINGE POSITIONING TO THE LEADING EDGE OF DOOR FROM THE SIDE WHERE FACTORY MOUNT IS. ALSO INSTALLATION OF STAINLESS COOKING HARDWARE AND RECEPTACLES INSTEAD OF ALUMINUM CASTINGS. FIGHTING CORROSION OF FASTERS IS A PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. COMPANY HAS MODIFIED THE LATCH WITH A STRONGER ASSEMBLY WITH FAA APPROVAL. THEY ARE STILL HAVING PROBS. THE DOOR ASSEMBLY AND HINGE IS IN A CURVED AREA OF THE ACFT MAKING IT VERY TOUGH TO MODIFY. FEELS STRONGLY THE MFR SHOULD MODIFY THROUGH A SVC BULLETIN, BY GETTING THE HINGE IN THE FORWARD AREA IN LINE WITH THE SLIPSTREAM SO IN CASE THE DOOR OPENS IT IS NOT LOST. FSDO OFFICE IN FRESNO HAS REVIEWED THE PROB AND CLOSED THE CASE. A SECONDARY LATCH HAD BEEN TRIED AND PROVED TO BE INEFFECTIVE.

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