Atx freight twin emergency door opened during level off and the pilot returned to land.

Attributes
ACN	280489
Time
Date	199408
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ind
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : yng
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other other
Route In Use	enroute airway : ind
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	280489
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Right side emergency door opened as aircraft accelerated in cruise flight. I believe the emergency door was unlatched or possible loosened by the unloading of freight in the cargo area. As the aircraft was accelerating above 140 KIAS the emergency door opened and started flapping violently. I slowed the aircraft below 120 KIAS which stopped the flapping. I proceeded to try to close the exit but the window would not fit back in correctly and stay latched. I informed ind approach that I had a non emergency problem that required me to return to ind airport. Landing was uneventful. Upon exterior inspection I found that the first 3 connectors of the hinge had sheered off, thus warping the window so it would not relatch in flight. Only further action to possible take on my behalf would have been to inspect the emergency exit prior to takeoff to insure their closure. The aircraft was loaded by a freight loader and the aircraft was unloaded by the captain (me). When I was unloading the aircraft I did not notice anything unusual, none of the freight seemed to catch or hang up on anything and although I did not specifically check the emergency exits, I also did not notice anything unusual about them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX FREIGHT TWIN EMER DOOR OPENED DURING LEVEL OFF AND THE PLT RETURNED TO LAND.

Narrative: R SIDE EMER DOOR OPENED AS ACFT ACCELERATED IN CRUISE FLT. I BELIEVE THE EMER DOOR WAS UNLATCHED OR POSSIBLE LOOSENED BY THE UNLOADING OF FREIGHT IN THE CARGO AREA. AS THE ACFT WAS ACCELERATING ABOVE 140 KIAS THE EMER DOOR OPENED AND STARTED FLAPPING VIOLENTLY. I SLOWED THE ACFT BELOW 120 KIAS WHICH STOPPED THE FLAPPING. I PROCEEDED TO TRY TO CLOSE THE EXIT BUT THE WINDOW WOULD NOT FIT BACK IN CORRECTLY AND STAY LATCHED. I INFORMED IND APCH THAT I HAD A NON EMER PROB THAT REQUIRED ME TO RETURN TO IND ARPT. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON EXTERIOR INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE FIRST 3 CONNECTORS OF THE HINGE HAD SHEERED OFF, THUS WARPING THE WINDOW SO IT WOULD NOT RELATCH IN FLT. ONLY FURTHER ACTION TO POSSIBLE TAKE ON MY BEHALF WOULD HAVE BEEN TO INSPECT THE EMERGENCY EXIT PRIOR TO TKOF TO INSURE THEIR CLOSURE. THE ACFT WAS LOADED BY A FREIGHT LOADER AND THE ACFT WAS UNLOADED BY THE CAPT (ME). WHEN I WAS UNLOADING THE ACFT I DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL, NONE OF THE FREIGHT SEEMED TO CATCH OR HANG UP ON ANYTHING AND ALTHOUGH I DID NOT SPECIFICALLY CHK THE EMER EXITS, I ALSO DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THEM.

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.