Narrative:

After departure from dbq, climbing through 2500 ft, the first officer and I saw the pod door light come on. After consulting the emergency checklist (which calls for the continuance of flight), I contacted maintenance control to ask about any considerations of flight if, indeed, the pod door was open. Maintenance control told me it was alright to continue that there are no changes in flight characteristics if the door is open. 20 mi southeast of roc, I felt a thud, and noticed an 8-10 KT decrease in airspeed, followed by 2 more thuds. I could feel the door swinging open -- there was a slight yawing motion. We contacted our operations in minneapolis, then informed approach control and msp tower that we needed a truck to inspect the runway/taxiway for possible FOD. There was none found, the landing and taxi in were without incident. We lost 3 bags out of the pod and it is my belief that they fell out 20 mi southeast of roc. Interestingly, 4 bags remained in the pod and were undamaged. Our operations told me that the pod door had opened twice before on this particular aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: aircraft was a jetstream DA3100. The aircraft has a maintenance history on the pod door opening in-flight. Reporter believes it is caused by the type of latch handle installed. It is a different confign than the rest of the fleet. Only 1 bag of the 3 lost was recovered. Reporter states another incident of the pod door opening occurred on this airplane after this report but no bags were lost. The yawing motion encountered was not severe but could be felt. The FAA has not contacted the reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BAE JETSTREAM 3100 IN CRUISE HAD THE BAGGAGE POD DOOR OPEN AND 3 BAGS WERE LOST.

Narrative: AFTER DEP FROM DBQ, CLBING THROUGH 2500 FT, THE FO AND I SAW THE POD DOOR LIGHT COME ON. AFTER CONSULTING THE EMER CHKLIST (WHICH CALLS FOR THE CONTINUANCE OF FLT), I CONTACTED MAINT CTL TO ASK ABOUT ANY CONSIDERATIONS OF FLT IF, INDEED, THE POD DOOR WAS OPEN. MAINT CTL TOLD ME IT WAS ALRIGHT TO CONTINUE THAT THERE ARE NO CHANGES IN FLT CHARACTERISTICS IF THE DOOR IS OPEN. 20 MI SE OF ROC, I FELT A THUD, AND NOTICED AN 8-10 KT DECREASE IN AIRSPD, FOLLOWED BY 2 MORE THUDS. I COULD FEEL THE DOOR SWINGING OPEN -- THERE WAS A SLIGHT YAWING MOTION. WE CONTACTED OUR OPS IN MINNEAPOLIS, THEN INFORMED APCH CTL AND MSP TWR THAT WE NEEDED A TRUCK TO INSPECT THE RWY/TXWY FOR POSSIBLE FOD. THERE WAS NONE FOUND, THE LNDG AND TAXI IN WERE WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE LOST 3 BAGS OUT OF THE POD AND IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THEY FELL OUT 20 MI SE OF ROC. INTERESTINGLY, 4 BAGS REMAINED IN THE POD AND WERE UNDAMAGED. OUR OPS TOLD ME THAT THE POD DOOR HAD OPENED TWICE BEFORE ON THIS PARTICULAR ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ACFT WAS A JETSTREAM DA3100. THE ACFT HAS A MAINT HISTORY ON THE POD DOOR OPENING INFLT. RPTR BELIEVES IT IS CAUSED BY THE TYPE OF LATCH HANDLE INSTALLED. IT IS A DIFFERENT CONFIGN THAN THE REST OF THE FLEET. ONLY 1 BAG OF THE 3 LOST WAS RECOVERED. RPTR STATES ANOTHER INCIDENT OF THE POD DOOR OPENING OCCURRED ON THIS AIRPLANE AFTER THIS RPT BUT NO BAGS WERE LOST. THE YAWING MOTION ENCOUNTERED WAS NOT SEVERE BUT COULD BE FELT. THE FAA HAS NOT CONTACTED THE RPTR.

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.