Narrative:

Departing sat for austin, thunderstorms in the area and 1 on the field. Strong winds and heavy rain during the takeoff. After liftoff I left the landing gear down and accelerated to a higher than normal airspeed because of the possibility of windshears, as I reached about 50 ft in the climb the nose compartment unlatched and flew open and I noticed a bag flew out. I immediately checked that my landing gear was still down and locked and I had sufficient runway to land on. So I closed the throttles and landed. I did not want to enter IMC conditions in that situation not knowing the flight characteristics of the airplane with the baggage compartment open. I notified the tower and airport security found the bag on the runway and returned it to me. I reloaded the bag again checked the nose compartment and departed without any problems. The aircraft is a small transport and the nose compartment latch hooks are not the best in the world. I believe the wind gust flexed the cover enough to pop 1 latch loose which allowed the wind to get underneath the door popping the second latch free blowing the door wide open. Please call if I can help in any way. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the latches on this particular aircraft are worn and bent, airports are not aligned properly. Consequently, the latch does not hold securely. Has not flown this aircraft since incident so does not know if it has been repaired. No FAA follow up. Does not feel it is a problem on other same type aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NOSE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT OPENS ON TKOF. ABORT AND NOTIFY TWR. SECURITY FINDS BAGGAGE AND RETURNS IT.

Narrative: DEPARTING SAT FOR AUSTIN, TSTMS IN THE AREA AND 1 ON THE FIELD. STRONG WINDS AND HVY RAIN DURING THE TKOF. AFTER LIFTOFF I LEFT THE LNDG GEAR DOWN AND ACCELERATED TO A HIGHER THAN NORMAL AIRSPD BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF WINDSHEARS, AS I REACHED ABOUT 50 FT IN THE CLB THE NOSE COMPARTMENT UNLATCHED AND FLEW OPEN AND I NOTICED A BAG FLEW OUT. I IMMEDIATELY CHKED THAT MY LNDG GEAR WAS STILL DOWN AND LOCKED AND I HAD SUFFICIENT RWY TO LAND ON. SO I CLOSED THE THROTTLES AND LANDED. I DID NOT WANT TO ENTER IMC CONDITIONS IN THAT SITUATION NOT KNOWING THE FLT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRPLANE WITH THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT OPEN. I NOTIFIED THE TWR AND ARPT SECURITY FOUND THE BAG ON THE RWY AND RETURNED IT TO ME. I RELOADED THE BAG AGAIN CHKED THE NOSE COMPARTMENT AND DEPARTED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS. THE ACFT IS A SMT AND THE NOSE COMPARTMENT LATCH HOOKS ARE NOT THE BEST IN THE WORLD. I BELIEVE THE WIND GUST FLEXED THE COVER ENOUGH TO POP 1 LATCH LOOSE WHICH ALLOWED THE WIND TO GET UNDERNEATH THE DOOR POPPING THE SECOND LATCH FREE BLOWING THE DOOR WIDE OPEN. PLEASE CALL IF I CAN HELP IN ANY WAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE LATCHES ON THIS PARTICULAR ACFT ARE WORN AND BENT, ARPTS ARE NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY. CONSEQUENTLY, THE LATCH DOES NOT HOLD SECURELY. HAS NOT FLOWN THIS ACFT SINCE INCIDENT SO DOES NOT KNOW IF IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED. NO FAA FOLLOW UP. DOES NOT FEEL IT IS A PROBLEM ON OTHER SAME TYPE ACFT.

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.