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Pilot of a C172 discovered that the baggage door was open during postflt inspection of the aircraft. Reporter believes that it was locked prior to takeoff but must have opened in-flight while doing stalls and other air work.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 355366 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199612 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : gyr airport : geu |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 355366 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I took off out of geu approximately XA00 and headed toward the practice area whereupon I practiced a full series of stalls, steep turns, and other basic airwork. Upon landing and during the postflt walk around, I discovered that the baggage door had popped open in-flight. It was locked (or the latch was). I do remember checking the door on the preflight. (I usually give the handle a bit of a tug and make sure it is secure.) it is possible that at first the door was secure and I'd been too aggressive in my preflight tug, or that the latch was a cheap piece of junk and did not hold up to my in-flight gyrations. Third (and possibly the most likely), the door was not fully closed and completely latched somehow. In the future, manually opening and closing and locking the door will probably give a more accurate indication of the status and condition of the door lock. Furthermore, I can't remember if that aircraft's tow bar was on board. (The FBO couldn't remember either!)
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF A C172 DISCOVERED THAT THE BAGGAGE DOOR WAS OPEN DURING POSTFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT. RPTR BELIEVES THAT IT WAS LOCKED PRIOR TO TKOF BUT MUST HAVE OPENED INFLT WHILE DOING STALLS AND OTHER AIR WORK.
Narrative: I TOOK OFF OUT OF GEU APPROX XA00 AND HEADED TOWARD THE PRACTICE AREA WHEREUPON I PRACTICED A FULL SERIES OF STALLS, STEEP TURNS, AND OTHER BASIC AIRWORK. UPON LNDG AND DURING THE POSTFLT WALK AROUND, I DISCOVERED THAT THE BAGGAGE DOOR HAD POPPED OPEN INFLT. IT WAS LOCKED (OR THE LATCH WAS). I DO REMEMBER CHKING THE DOOR ON THE PREFLT. (I USUALLY GIVE THE HANDLE A BIT OF A TUG AND MAKE SURE IT IS SECURE.) IT IS POSSIBLE THAT AT FIRST THE DOOR WAS SECURE AND I'D BEEN TOO AGGRESSIVE IN MY PREFLT TUG, OR THAT THE LATCH WAS A CHEAP PIECE OF JUNK AND DID NOT HOLD UP TO MY INFLT GYRATIONS. THIRD (AND POSSIBLY THE MOST LIKELY), THE DOOR WAS NOT FULLY CLOSED AND COMPLETELY LATCHED SOMEHOW. IN THE FUTURE, MANUALLY OPENING AND CLOSING AND LOCKING THE DOOR WILL PROBABLY GIVE A MORE ACCURATE INDICATION OF THE STATUS AND CONDITION OF THE DOOR LOCK. FURTHERMORE, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THAT ACFT'S TOW BAR WAS ON BOARD. (THE FBO COULDN'T REMEMBER EITHER!)
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.