Air taxi small transport aborts takeoff while 15 ft above runway. Cargo door had opened.

Attributes
ACN	279415
Time
Date	199407
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 15 agl bound upper : 15
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mia
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1700 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	279415
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : rejected takeoff flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Nose baggage door opened just after rotation, about 15 ft above the runway. Since the gear was still down and locked and about 6000 ft of runway remained, the takeoff was aborted. Action taken without hesitation. Response was almost instinctive. If event happened on a short runway, decision to abort may not have been so instantaneous. Training should include more emphasis on aborting takeoff at the critical rotation phase, including performance variables and real world distances required to abort after takeoff with gear still down. Problem arose due to ramp personnel removing a bag just prior to leaving gate, after flight crew already checked that all doors were secured. Standard procedures should require ramp personnel to inform crew of any last min opening of baggage compartments after crew has completed final check. Then the crew could decide whether to re-check doors or not.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI SMT ABORTS TKOF WHILE 15 FT ABOVE RWY. CARGO DOOR HAD OPENED.

Narrative: NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR OPENED JUST AFTER ROTATION, ABOUT 15 FT ABOVE THE RWY. SINCE THE GEAR WAS STILL DOWN AND LOCKED AND ABOUT 6000 FT OF RWY REMAINED, THE TKOF WAS ABORTED. ACTION TAKEN WITHOUT HESITATION. RESPONSE WAS ALMOST INSTINCTIVE. IF EVENT HAPPENED ON A SHORT RWY, DECISION TO ABORT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SO INSTANTANEOUS. TRAINING SHOULD INCLUDE MORE EMPHASIS ON ABORTING TKOF AT THE CRITICAL ROTATION PHASE, INCLUDING PERFORMANCE VARIABLES AND REAL WORLD DISTANCES REQUIRED TO ABORT AFTER TKOF WITH GEAR STILL DOWN. PROB AROSE DUE TO RAMP PERSONNEL REMOVING A BAG JUST PRIOR TO LEAVING GATE, AFTER FLC ALREADY CHKED THAT ALL DOORS WERE SECURED. STANDARD PROCS SHOULD REQUIRE RAMP PERSONNEL TO INFORM CREW OF ANY LAST MIN OPENING OF BAGGAGE COMPARTMENTS AFTER CREW HAS COMPLETED FINAL CHK. THEN THE CREW COULD DECIDE WHETHER TO RE-CHK DOORS OR NOT.

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.