Main cabin door opened and departed the aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	169614
Time
Date	199101
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 158 flight time total : 6390
ASRS Report	169614
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 229 flight time total : 6020 flight time type : 632
ASRS Report	169615
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We started both engines after boarding and noticed our door light on. I shut down #1 and signaled for ground personnel to go back and check it. They did and I cycled the circuit breaker according to our company procedure. Door light was out. We proceeded to leave the gate. During our climb through 7000' MSL the cabin door opened followed by a door light on in the cockpit. We followed our checklist and returned to clt for a landing on runway 36L after declaring an emergency. We deplaned to find the door missing from the aircraft. We followed all checklists. We were VMC at all times. No one was injured. Aircraft handled ok west/O the door. We had about 2.8 psid on the aircraft at the time the door opened. We do not know why the aircraft door came open and off the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 169615. It is possible that the door may not have been fully closed when leaving the gate. We had experienced an open door annunciator light after engine start. The captain used an unauthorized but common proximity to rectify the door light problem. The company checklist procedure calls for physically opening the door combined with resetting the associated circuit breaker. The captain cycled the circuit breaker (common with all capts at this company) west/O opening the door. We were able to extinguish the warning light using the common unauthorized procedure and the warning light stayed out until after door sep.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAIN CABIN DOOR OPENED AND DEPARTED THE ACFT.

Narrative: WE STARTED BOTH ENGS AFTER BOARDING AND NOTICED OUR DOOR LIGHT ON. I SHUT DOWN #1 AND SIGNALED FOR GND PERSONNEL TO GO BACK AND CHK IT. THEY DID AND I CYCLED THE CB ACCORDING TO OUR COMPANY PROC. DOOR LIGHT WAS OUT. WE PROCEEDED TO LEAVE THE GATE. DURING OUR CLB THROUGH 7000' MSL THE CABIN DOOR OPENED FOLLOWED BY A DOOR LIGHT ON IN THE COCKPIT. WE FOLLOWED OUR CHKLIST AND RETURNED TO CLT FOR A LNDG ON RWY 36L AFTER DECLARING AN EMER. WE DEPLANED TO FIND THE DOOR MISSING FROM THE ACFT. WE FOLLOWED ALL CHKLISTS. WE WERE VMC AT ALL TIMES. NO ONE WAS INJURED. ACFT HANDLED OK W/O THE DOOR. WE HAD ABOUT 2.8 PSID ON THE ACFT AT THE TIME THE DOOR OPENED. WE DO NOT KNOW WHY THE ACFT DOOR CAME OPEN AND OFF THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 169615. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE DOOR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FULLY CLOSED WHEN LEAVING THE GATE. WE HAD EXPERIENCED AN OPEN DOOR ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT AFTER ENG START. THE CAPT USED AN UNAUTH BUT COMMON PROX TO RECTIFY THE DOOR LIGHT PROB. THE COMPANY CHKLIST PROC CALLS FOR PHYSICALLY OPENING THE DOOR COMBINED WITH RESETTING THE ASSOCIATED CB. THE CAPT CYCLED THE CB (COMMON WITH ALL CAPTS AT THIS COMPANY) W/O OPENING THE DOOR. WE WERE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE WARNING LIGHT USING THE COMMON UNAUTH PROC AND THE WARNING LIGHT STAYED OUT UNTIL AFTER DOOR SEP.

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.