Narrative:

Departure from ccr, entry into the oak arsa and transition southeast of the approach end of oak runway 29 were routine and as instructed by bay approach and oak tower. As directed, I descended to just below 1400' after passing oak. At this time, a high level of noise commenced in both communication radios. About 2 mi north of the san mateo bridge, I received and understood instructions to contact pao tower. I was either not given or did not hear instructions to change transponder code ('squawk 1200'), so I retained the code assigned by bay approach, assuming that this was a handoff. The sun was low in the sky in the 3-4 O'clock position, shining directly on the navigation/communication led displays (arc radios, I believe), and they were very difficult to read. I selected pao ATIS, 120.6, and because of the noise level had to listen to several repetitions to get the information. I then attempted to contact pao tower on 118.6, but due to the sunlight on the radios, mistakenly dialed in 118.5. Of course, there was no answer, and after 2 calls I rechked the frequency and corrected it. In the midst of this, just south of the san mateo bridge, a widebody transport in a shallow right bank on approach to sfo crossed my path about 1.5-2 mi ahead and (guessing) perhaps 1000-2000' above. I therefore adjusted speed and heading to minimize possible wake turbulence--although some (moderate) was still encountered. The next attempt to contact pao was successful, but noise made their transmission barely readable, and I so informed them. I did finally understand their request for position information, which I reported as 1/2 mi north of the dumbarton bridge, well inside the air traffic area, but other xmissions were not audible above the noise. As I recalled from my instrument's advice, I continued inbound on the 45 degree entry to right downwind. I considered squawking 7600, but did not. I entered the pattern behind a much slower small aircraft. I remained wide of the small aircraft, reduced power to slow down, and simultaneously requested and began to execute a left 360 degree turn. The controller was understandable a bit agitated, and inquired if I had the small aircraft in sight. I replied, 'affirmative, that's why I requested left 360 degrees.' controller, 'continue downwind.' me: 'continuing downwind wide of the small aircraft.' I noticed that at this point the noise had largely disappeared! Base, final and landing were normal. The same could not be said for my, or presumably the controller's blood pressure! Upon exiting the runway, the reason for the radio noise became clear: the left door was open! I must have inadvertently opened it with my elbow in flight. Neither my passenger nor I, both wearing headsets, noticed anything amiss aside from the radio noise. It never occurred to me that this could be the reason, and the difficulty with the radios during preflight predisposed me to consider little else beyond radio problem as the cause.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CREW HAS DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING BECAUSE OF NOISE CAUSED BY AN OPEN DOOR.

Narrative: DEP FROM CCR, ENTRY INTO THE OAK ARSA AND TRANSITION SE OF THE APCH END OF OAK RWY 29 WERE ROUTINE AND AS INSTRUCTED BY BAY APCH AND OAK TWR. AS DIRECTED, I DSNDED TO JUST BELOW 1400' AFTER PASSING OAK. AT THIS TIME, A HIGH LEVEL OF NOISE COMMENCED IN BOTH COM RADIOS. ABOUT 2 MI N OF THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE, I RECEIVED AND UNDERSTOOD INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTACT PAO TWR. I WAS EITHER NOT GIVEN OR DID NOT HEAR INSTRUCTIONS TO CHANGE XPONDER CODE ('SQUAWK 1200'), SO I RETAINED THE CODE ASSIGNED BY BAY APCH, ASSUMING THAT THIS WAS A HDOF. THE SUN WAS LOW IN THE SKY IN THE 3-4 O'CLOCK POS, SHINING DIRECTLY ON THE NAV/COM LED DISPLAYS (ARC RADIOS, I BELIEVE), AND THEY WERE VERY DIFFICULT TO READ. I SELECTED PAO ATIS, 120.6, AND BECAUSE OF THE NOISE LEVEL HAD TO LISTEN TO SEVERAL REPETITIONS TO GET THE INFO. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT PAO TWR ON 118.6, BUT DUE TO THE SUNLIGHT ON THE RADIOS, MISTAKENLY DIALED IN 118.5. OF COURSE, THERE WAS NO ANSWER, AND AFTER 2 CALLS I RECHKED THE FREQ AND CORRECTED IT. IN THE MIDST OF THIS, JUST S OF THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE, A WDB IN A SHALLOW RIGHT BANK ON APCH TO SFO CROSSED MY PATH ABOUT 1.5-2 MI AHEAD AND (GUESSING) PERHAPS 1000-2000' ABOVE. I THEREFORE ADJUSTED SPD AND HDG TO MINIMIZE POSSIBLE WAKE TURB--ALTHOUGH SOME (MODERATE) WAS STILL ENCOUNTERED. THE NEXT ATTEMPT TO CONTACT PAO WAS SUCCESSFUL, BUT NOISE MADE THEIR XMISSION BARELY READABLE, AND I SO INFORMED THEM. I DID FINALLY UNDERSTAND THEIR REQUEST FOR POS INFO, WHICH I RPTED AS 1/2 MI N OF THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE, WELL INSIDE THE ATA, BUT OTHER XMISSIONS WERE NOT AUDIBLE ABOVE THE NOISE. AS I RECALLED FROM MY INSTR'S ADVICE, I CONTINUED INBND ON THE 45 DEG ENTRY TO RIGHT DOWNWIND. I CONSIDERED SQUAWKING 7600, BUT DID NOT. I ENTERED THE PATTERN BEHIND A MUCH SLOWER SMA. I REMAINED WIDE OF THE SMA, REDUCED PWR TO SLOW DOWN, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY REQUESTED AND BEGAN TO EXECUTE A LEFT 360 DEG TURN. THE CTLR WAS UNDERSTANDABLE A BIT AGITATED, AND INQUIRED IF I HAD THE SMA IN SIGHT. I REPLIED, 'AFFIRMATIVE, THAT'S WHY I REQUESTED LEFT 360 DEGS.' CTLR, 'CONTINUE DOWNWIND.' ME: 'CONTINUING DOWNWIND WIDE OF THE SMA.' I NOTICED THAT AT THIS POINT THE NOISE HAD LARGELY DISAPPEARED! BASE, FINAL AND LNDG WERE NORMAL. THE SAME COULD NOT BE SAID FOR MY, OR PRESUMABLY THE CTLR'S BLOOD PRESSURE! UPON EXITING THE RWY, THE REASON FOR THE RADIO NOISE BECAME CLR: THE LEFT DOOR WAS OPEN! I MUST HAVE INADVERTENTLY OPENED IT WITH MY ELBOW IN FLT. NEITHER MY PAX NOR I, BOTH WEARING HEADSETS, NOTICED ANYTHING AMISS ASIDE FROM THE RADIO NOISE. IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT THIS COULD BE THE REASON, AND THE DIFFICULTY WITH THE RADIOS DURING PREFLT PREDISPOSED ME TO CONSIDER LITTLE ELSE BEYOND RADIO PROB AS THE CAUSE.

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.