Narrative:

This problem occurred just after lift-off from runway 9 at boston. My copilot/flight instructor said he was hearing wind noise around the door seals and was concerned the copilot's door might pop open as we climbed to altitude. He contacted the tower and requested we be allowed to return to land because of his concern about the door not being properly latched. He did not request priority handling or declare an emergency since there was no acute problem that demanded such action. We were vectored around in the pattern and landed on runway 4L without incident. My copilot/instructor secured his door and we departed on runway 9 without further problem with the door. While the door never popped open, my copilot/instructor and I agreed the safest course of action was to land and make sure the door was properly secured. During this entire process, the tower personnel at logan were most helpful and accommodating despite an obvious heavy workload. Although we did not believe we had received priority handling, I received a call from a boston based FAA official this morning checking on the nature of the incident and confirming there was no damage or injury. I relayed to him the information contained above and he stated he was closing the file on the incident. While my copilot double checked the door before we taxied from the FBO, the potential existed that the door was not properly secured. Just to be absolutely sure, I have asked my copilot, who is also the a&P mechanic who maintains the airplane, to check the latching mechanism on the door. This will be done before my next flight. As an aside, I have experienced door open scenarios in my flight training, both in single and twin training, so I was prepared for the sensations associated with a door popping open and would not have been frightened or distracted by the noise. Thus, I would recommend such training in a controled environment instead of one experiencing it for the first time in a more high stress situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE58G BARON RETURN LAND BOS WHEN WIND NOISES ALERT CREW CABIN DOOR IS NOT COMPLETELY LATCHED.

Narrative: THIS PROB OCCURRED JUST AFTER LIFT-OFF FROM RWY 9 AT BOSTON. MY COPLT/FLT INSTRUCTOR SAID HE WAS HEARING WIND NOISE AROUND THE DOOR SEALS AND WAS CONCERNED THE COPLT'S DOOR MIGHT POP OPEN AS WE CLBED TO ALT. HE CONTACTED THE TWR AND REQUESTED WE BE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO LAND BECAUSE OF HIS CONCERN ABOUT THE DOOR NOT BEING PROPERLY LATCHED. HE DID NOT REQUEST PRIORITY HANDLING OR DECLARE AN EMER SINCE THERE WAS NO ACUTE PROB THAT DEMANDED SUCH ACTION. WE WERE VECTORED AROUND IN THE PATTERN AND LANDED ON RWY 4L WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY COPLT/INSTRUCTOR SECURED HIS DOOR AND WE DEPARTED ON RWY 9 WITHOUT FURTHER PROB WITH THE DOOR. WHILE THE DOOR NEVER POPPED OPEN, MY COPLT/INSTRUCTOR AND I AGREED THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO LAND AND MAKE SURE THE DOOR WAS PROPERLY SECURED. DURING THIS ENTIRE PROCESS, THE TWR PERSONNEL AT LOGAN WERE MOST HELPFUL AND ACCOMMODATING DESPITE AN OBVIOUS HVY WORKLOAD. ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT BELIEVE WE HAD RECEIVED PRIORITY HANDLING, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A BOSTON BASED FAA OFFICIAL THIS MORNING CHKING ON THE NATURE OF THE INCIDENT AND CONFIRMING THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURY. I RELAYED TO HIM THE INFO CONTAINED ABOVE AND HE STATED HE WAS CLOSING THE FILE ON THE INCIDENT. WHILE MY COPLT DOUBLE CHKED THE DOOR BEFORE WE TAXIED FROM THE FBO, THE POTENTIAL EXISTED THAT THE DOOR WAS NOT PROPERLY SECURED. JUST TO BE ABSOLUTELY SURE, I HAVE ASKED MY COPLT, WHO IS ALSO THE A&P MECH WHO MAINTAINS THE AIRPLANE, TO CHK THE LATCHING MECHANISM ON THE DOOR. THIS WILL BE DONE BEFORE MY NEXT FLT. AS AN ASIDE, I HAVE EXPERIENCED DOOR OPEN SCENARIOS IN MY FLT TRAINING, BOTH IN SINGLE AND TWIN TRAINING, SO I WAS PREPARED FOR THE SENSATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH A DOOR POPPING OPEN AND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FRIGHTENED OR DISTRACTED BY THE NOISE. THUS, I WOULD RECOMMEND SUCH TRAINING IN A CTLED ENVIRONMENT INSTEAD OF ONE EXPERIENCING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A MORE HIGH STRESS SIT.

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.