Narrative:

Rolette, nd, 1/91, clear blue skies, -15 degrees F temperature, light dusting of snow on plowed runway. I ran up engines and waited 5 mins for cylinder head temperatures to come up, then taxied out to runway. Back-taxied, and during turnaround decided I didn't have enough runway width to complete the turn west/O running through a ridge of snow on runway edge. Shut down, pushed aircraft back, jumped back in, quickly closing door and restarting engines. After a rechk of engine parameters, started a takeoff roll. About the time I retracted gear, the upper latch of cabin door popped open, followed by the second latch. Door streamlined to 4' opening. I immediately started a 360 degree turn back to runway (winds calm) to land opp direction. Put gear handle down in the turn, dropped 1/2 flaps at the end of the turn, ending up at the finish of the turn, 100-200' AGL and less than 1/4 mi final. Wheels stayed in the wheel wells and I never checked for a green light or heard the gear horn until asphalt-induced grinding noise had subsided. We have not investigated why the gear did not come down; however, knowing the aircraft as I do, in retrospect I realize now I had 4 engine starts (2 of which were long, cranking periods to restart after initial shutdown), 10 mins of heater and avionics running with little gen output. Aircraft has gens that are ineffective below 1500 RPM, with the exception of engine runup and takeoff roll. All my electrical draw had been on the batter. Gear motor had run gear up. I may have had insufficient power to run the gear down, but I still failed to look for a green light. That I was distracted by extremely noisy and cold air coming in may account for not checking the light, since I knew handle was down, and cockpit nose prevented hearing gear horn. However, had I not been in such a hurry to get engines restarted and heater operating, I should have checked cabin door prior to takeoff. Again, was distracted by having to shut down, push aircraft and restart. But also, with another 30 seconds of flying out and up before initiating my turn back, I'd have given myself time to have gone through a gumps check or a checklist and caught the gear up condition. I realize now that in emergency situations, habit patterns are crucial. I jumped into action west/O thinking of the options. My emergency was passenger comfort. She was next to the door and taking full brunt of cold -15 degree air. I had blankets at arms length which I could have provided her with, and then executed normal pattern or not such a low altitude, quick turn back. The aircraft was flying and I had control. I did not avail myself ot time, and allowed the distrs to be given importance over flying the aircraft, as I had done when I got back in after shutdown, by not checking the door.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMA LANDED GEAR UP AFTER TKOF TURNAROUND BECAUSE THE CABIN DOOR WAS NOT LATCHED CLOSED.

Narrative: ROLETTE, ND, 1/91, CLR BLUE SKIES, -15 DEGS F TEMP, LIGHT DUSTING OF SNOW ON PLOWED RWY. I RAN UP ENGS AND WAITED 5 MINS FOR CYLINDER HEAD TEMPS TO COME UP, THEN TAXIED OUT TO RWY. BACK-TAXIED, AND DURING TURNAROUND DECIDED I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH RWY WIDTH TO COMPLETE THE TURN W/O RUNNING THROUGH A RIDGE OF SNOW ON RWY EDGE. SHUT DOWN, PUSHED ACFT BACK, JUMPED BACK IN, QUICKLY CLOSING DOOR AND RESTARTING ENGS. AFTER A RECHK OF ENG PARAMETERS, STARTED A TKOF ROLL. ABOUT THE TIME I RETRACTED GEAR, THE UPPER LATCH OF CABIN DOOR POPPED OPEN, FOLLOWED BY THE SECOND LATCH. DOOR STREAMLINED TO 4' OPENING. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED A 360 DEG TURN BACK TO RWY (WINDS CALM) TO LAND OPP DIRECTION. PUT GEAR HANDLE DOWN IN THE TURN, DROPPED 1/2 FLAPS AT THE END OF THE TURN, ENDING UP AT THE FINISH OF THE TURN, 100-200' AGL AND LESS THAN 1/4 MI FINAL. WHEELS STAYED IN THE WHEEL WELLS AND I NEVER CHKED FOR A GREEN LIGHT OR HEARD THE GEAR HORN UNTIL ASPHALT-INDUCED GRINDING NOISE HAD SUBSIDED. WE HAVE NOT INVESTIGATED WHY THE GEAR DID NOT COME DOWN; HOWEVER, KNOWING THE ACFT AS I DO, IN RETROSPECT I REALIZE NOW I HAD 4 ENG STARTS (2 OF WHICH WERE LONG, CRANKING PERIODS TO RESTART AFTER INITIAL SHUTDOWN), 10 MINS OF HEATER AND AVIONICS RUNNING WITH LITTLE GEN OUTPUT. ACFT HAS GENS THAT ARE INEFFECTIVE BELOW 1500 RPM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ENG RUNUP AND TKOF ROLL. ALL MY ELECTRICAL DRAW HAD BEEN ON THE BATTER. GEAR MOTOR HAD RUN GEAR UP. I MAY HAVE HAD INSUFFICIENT PWR TO RUN THE GEAR DOWN, BUT I STILL FAILED TO LOOK FOR A GREEN LIGHT. THAT I WAS DISTRACTED BY EXTREMELY NOISY AND COLD AIR COMING IN MAY ACCOUNT FOR NOT CHKING THE LIGHT, SINCE I KNEW HANDLE WAS DOWN, AND COCKPIT NOSE PREVENTED HEARING GEAR HORN. HOWEVER, HAD I NOT BEEN IN SUCH A HURRY TO GET ENGS RESTARTED AND HEATER OPERATING, I SHOULD HAVE CHKED CABIN DOOR PRIOR TO TKOF. AGAIN, WAS DISTRACTED BY HAVING TO SHUT DOWN, PUSH ACFT AND RESTART. BUT ALSO, WITH ANOTHER 30 SECS OF FLYING OUT AND UP BEFORE INITIATING MY TURN BACK, I'D HAVE GIVEN MYSELF TIME TO HAVE GONE THROUGH A GUMPS CHK OR A CHKLIST AND CAUGHT THE GEAR UP CONDITION. I REALIZE NOW THAT IN EMER SITUATIONS, HABIT PATTERNS ARE CRUCIAL. I JUMPED INTO ACTION W/O THINKING OF THE OPTIONS. MY EMER WAS PAX COMFORT. SHE WAS NEXT TO THE DOOR AND TAKING FULL BRUNT OF COLD -15 DEG AIR. I HAD BLANKETS AT ARMS LENGTH WHICH I COULD HAVE PROVIDED HER WITH, AND THEN EXECUTED NORMAL PATTERN OR NOT SUCH A LOW ALT, QUICK TURN BACK. THE ACFT WAS FLYING AND I HAD CTL. I DID NOT AVAIL MYSELF OT TIME, AND ALLOWED THE DISTRS TO BE GIVEN IMPORTANCE OVER FLYING THE ACFT, AS I HAD DONE WHEN I GOT BACK IN AFTER SHUTDOWN, BY NOT CHKING THE DOOR.

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.