Narrative:

At the start of a VFR departure for an IFR flight from I69 to orf in a A36 bonanza the takeoff roll was uneventful until rotation, when the right front door popped open. I felt we were essentially still on the ground and shut the throttle to abort the takeoff. As I did this the aircraft crossed the midpoint of the field and it became clear that the remaining runway was too short to allow stopping on the runway, although I felt we were committed to trying to stop rather than fly at that time. The aircraft left the right side of the runway near the end of the runway, struck 1 of the light boxes of the precision approach path indicator (PAPI) system and eventually stopped beyond the end of the runway. I restarted the engine, taxied back to the arrival end of the runway, and did a thorough preflight inspection again, with particular attention to the gear. Finding no damage, I took off for an uneventful flight to orf. Subsequent inspection by mechanics showed that the gear cycled normally with proper alignment. The tire, which was split to the cording, and the outboard half of the right main wheel, which was gouged about 1/4 inch, were replaced. The PAPI box will be repaired or replaced and reinstalled at my expense. There were no injuries arising from this incident. This event shows the value of closely checking all doors prior to takeoff, even when the occupant of the right seat is a CFI. It shows how the go-no go decision for a door opening should be modified on a shorter runway (3705 ft) than one is accustomed to using (9000 ft).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON TKOF THE PAX DOOR 'POPPED' OPEN AND DURING THE ENSURING ABORT LEFT THE RWY AND STRUCK SOME ARPT EQUIP.

Narrative: AT THE START OF A VFR DEP FOR AN IFR FLT FROM I69 TO ORF IN A A36 BONANZA THE TKOF ROLL WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL ROTATION, WHEN THE R FRONT DOOR POPPED OPEN. I FELT WE WERE ESSENTIALLY STILL ON THE GND AND SHUT THE THROTTLE TO ABORT THE TKOF. AS I DID THIS THE ACFT CROSSED THE MIDPOINT OF THE FIELD AND IT BECAME CLR THAT THE REMAINING RWY WAS TOO SHORT TO ALLOW STOPPING ON THE RWY, ALTHOUGH I FELT WE WERE COMMITTED TO TRYING TO STOP RATHER THAN FLY AT THAT TIME. THE ACFT LEFT THE R SIDE OF THE RWY NEAR THE END OF THE RWY, STRUCK 1 OF THE LIGHT BOXES OF THE PRECISION APCH PATH INDICATOR (PAPI) SYS AND EVENTUALLY STOPPED BEYOND THE END OF THE RWY. I RESTARTED THE ENG, TAXIED BACK TO THE ARR END OF THE RWY, AND DID A THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION AGAIN, WITH PARTICULAR ATTN TO THE GEAR. FINDING NO DAMAGE, I TOOK OFF FOR AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO ORF. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION BY MECHS SHOWED THAT THE GEAR CYCLED NORMALLY WITH PROPER ALIGNMENT. THE TIRE, WHICH WAS SPLIT TO THE CORDING, AND THE OUTBOARD HALF OF THE R MAIN WHEEL, WHICH WAS GOUGED ABOUT 1/4 INCH, WERE REPLACED. THE PAPI BOX WILL BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED AND REINSTALLED AT MY EXPENSE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES ARISING FROM THIS INCIDENT. THIS EVENT SHOWS THE VALUE OF CLOSELY CHKING ALL DOORS PRIOR TO TKOF, EVEN WHEN THE OCCUPANT OF THE R SEAT IS A CFI. IT SHOWS HOW THE GO-NO GO DECISION FOR A DOOR OPENING SHOULD BE MODIFIED ON A SHORTER RWY (3705 FT) THAN ONE IS ACCUSTOMED TO USING (9000 FT).

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.