Narrative:

We were cruising at 7000 ft and talking to ZMA when the main cabin door popped open, causing a great deal of noise and panic with my 2 passengers. I added full power because the aircraft was descending at approximately 200 FPM. I called center told them I had a door come open and wanted to return to tpa. After several seconds, ZMA told me I was cleared direct tpa to maintain 7000 ft but I had come down to 6500 ft by no choice of mine. ZMA told me to contact tpa approach, which I did immediately. When I did contact tpa, they told me I had violated the TCA, but I told them I had been cleared to tpa by ZMA. I also told tpa that I had a problem with my door being open and asked for vectors to lakeland, the closest airport at the time. I received vectors, and headed for lakeland. I asked for a straight in to runway 5 at lal, and tpa said it was approved and to contact lal tower. I did so, but was told I would have to declare an emergency to get 5, because the active was 27 at the time. I told them, if I had to, I had to. The aircraft was still not flying very well, and the attempts to close the door was unsuccessful. We landed on 5 without further incident. The only thing that I would do differently, is triple check the door was closed properly and to declare an emergency sooner if I thought there was a real problem, which there was. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter idented aircraft as a twin engine small transport. He said that the door was inspected after the incident and found to be in good condition, nothing was wrong with it. He could maintain altitude with full power but the airplane wallowed, rolled and yawed. As he slowed down to land, the aircraft became more stable. He said that there was no noise abatement concern in lal, just that the tower insisted he declare an emergency before he could be assigned his choice of runway 5. Good service? Regarding the declaration of an emergency, no one has contacted him for any information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DOOR POPS OPEN ON SMT, PLT DIVERTS TO NEAREST ARPT AND LANDS.

Narrative: WE WERE CRUISING AT 7000 FT AND TALKING TO ZMA WHEN THE MAIN CABIN DOOR POPPED OPEN, CAUSING A GREAT DEAL OF NOISE AND PANIC WITH MY 2 PAXS. I ADDED FULL PWR BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS DSNDING AT APPROX 200 FPM. I CALLED CTR TOLD THEM I HAD A DOOR COME OPEN AND WANTED TO RETURN TO TPA. AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS, ZMA TOLD ME I WAS CLRED DIRECT TPA TO MAINTAIN 7000 FT BUT I HAD COME DOWN TO 6500 FT BY NO CHOICE OF MINE. ZMA TOLD ME TO CONTACT TPA APCH, WHICH I DID IMMEDIATELY. WHEN I DID CONTACT TPA, THEY TOLD ME I HAD VIOLATED THE TCA, BUT I TOLD THEM I HAD BEEN CLRED TO TPA BY ZMA. I ALSO TOLD TPA THAT I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY DOOR BEING OPEN AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO LAKELAND, THE CLOSEST ARPT AT THE TIME. I RECEIVED VECTORS, AND HEADED FOR LAKELAND. I ASKED FOR A STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 5 AT LAL, AND TPA SAID IT WAS APPROVED AND TO CONTACT LAL TWR. I DID SO, BUT WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO DECLARE AN EMER TO GET 5, BECAUSE THE ACTIVE WAS 27 AT THE TIME. I TOLD THEM, IF I HAD TO, I HAD TO. THE ACFT WAS STILL NOT FLYING VERY WELL, AND THE ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE THE DOOR WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. WE LANDED ON 5 WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY, IS TRIPLE CHK THE DOOR WAS CLOSED PROPERLY AND TO DECLARE AN EMER SOONER IF I THOUGHT THERE WAS A REAL PROBLEM, WHICH THERE WAS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR IDENTED ACFT AS A TWIN ENG SMT. HE SAID THAT THE DOOR WAS INSPECTED AFTER THE INCIDENT AND FOUND TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION, NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. HE COULD MAINTAIN ALT WITH FULL PWR BUT THE AIRPLANE WALLOWED, ROLLED AND YAWED. AS HE SLOWED DOWN TO LAND, THE ACFT BECAME MORE STABLE. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO NOISE ABATEMENT CONCERN IN LAL, JUST THAT THE TWR INSISTED HE DECLARE AN EMER BEFORE HE COULD BE ASSIGNED HIS CHOICE OF RWY 5. GOOD SVC? REGARDING THE DECLARATION OF AN EMER, NO ONE HAS CONTACTED HIM FOR ANY INFO.

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.