Be-C99 cargo flight had pilot hatch door come open after takeoff. Reporter thought he had checked th...

Attributes
ACN	387028
Time
Date	199711
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ifp
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2200 msl bound upper : 2200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ifp
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Airliner 99
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 91 flight time total : 2133 flight time type : 175
ASRS Report	387028
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Before performing the engine start checklist I closed and locked pilot hatch, looking at the hook engagement from above the hooks appeared to be completely over the hatch pins. Then the d-handle was turned to the stop, indicating a closed and locked door, reaffirmed afterward by hitting the door with my left elbow. During climb out, I noticed a hissing noise coming from the defrost vents. Upon further investigation of bleeds and windows I noticed a gap on the bottom of the hatch. I pulled the strap to close the gap and tried to turn the d-handle to close and lock the door. The handle did not move and I tried to unjam it by jiggling it. Then the hatch came open, I made multiple attempts to close it, and was having trouble controling the aircraft with my knees (1 hand on the strap and 1 hand on the d-handle). Then the hatch flew open completely with my left arm still on it. I grabbed it with both hands and closed it but I couldn't hold it and fly the plane. I slowly let the hatch open and it departed the aircraft, without hitting the aircraft and without damaging anything on the ground. I called the tower and returned to the airport and made a normal landing. The latch appeared to be closed upon inspection, but it still came open.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE-C99 CARGO FLT HAD PLT HATCH DOOR COME OPEN AFTER TKOF. RPTR THOUGHT HE HAD CHKED THE DOOR CLOSED AND LATCHED, BUT APPARENTLY IT WASN'T SECURED WELL ENOUGH. RPTR RETURNED TO ARPT AND LANDED. NO DAMAGE ON THE GND FROM THE DOOR FALLING.

Narrative: BEFORE PERFORMING THE ENG START CHKLIST I CLOSED AND LOCKED PLT HATCH, LOOKING AT THE HOOK ENGAGEMENT FROM ABOVE THE HOOKS APPEARED TO BE COMPLETELY OVER THE HATCH PINS. THEN THE D-HANDLE WAS TURNED TO THE STOP, INDICATING A CLOSED AND LOCKED DOOR, REAFFIRMED AFTERWARD BY HITTING THE DOOR WITH MY L ELBOW. DURING CLBOUT, I NOTICED A HISSING NOISE COMING FROM THE DEFROST VENTS. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF BLEEDS AND WINDOWS I NOTICED A GAP ON THE BOTTOM OF THE HATCH. I PULLED THE STRAP TO CLOSE THE GAP AND TRIED TO TURN THE D-HANDLE TO CLOSE AND LOCK THE DOOR. THE HANDLE DID NOT MOVE AND I TRIED TO UNJAM IT BY JIGGLING IT. THEN THE HATCH CAME OPEN, I MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE IT, AND WAS HAVING TROUBLE CTLING THE ACFT WITH MY KNEES (1 HAND ON THE STRAP AND 1 HAND ON THE D-HANDLE). THEN THE HATCH FLEW OPEN COMPLETELY WITH MY L ARM STILL ON IT. I GRABBED IT WITH BOTH HANDS AND CLOSED IT BUT I COULDN'T HOLD IT AND FLY THE PLANE. I SLOWLY LET THE HATCH OPEN AND IT DEPARTED THE ACFT, WITHOUT HITTING THE ACFT AND WITHOUT DAMAGING ANYTHING ON THE GND. I CALLED THE TWR AND RETURNED TO THE ARPT AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG. THE LATCH APPEARED TO BE CLOSED UPON INSPECTION, BUT IT STILL CAME OPEN.

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.

Be-C99 cargo flight had pilot hatch door come open after takeoff. Reporter thought he had checked the door closed and latched, but apparently it wasn't secured well enough. Reporter returned to airport and landed. No damage on the ground from the door falling.