A PA32-300 lance loses its baggage door in-flight. The aircraft is damaged by the door striking the fuselage prior to departing the aircraft. Rptrs intimate that the door may not have been closed properly.

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Attributes
ACN	412323
Time
Date	199808
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fdk
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fdk
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 2050 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	412323
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 210 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	412325
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : insufficient time other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During a local VFR training flight at approximately 3000 ft MSL, the nose baggage door came open in-flight. The student/owner was on the controls at the time and I took the controls. The door flipped up and was banging on the top of the fuselage in front of the windscreen on the copilot's side. After approximately 30 seconds the door separated approximately 1/3 down from the hinge and departed the aircraft without striking the aircraft. There was no ctlability problems associated with the open door either before or after separation. An uneventful landing was made at fdk. A postflt inspection revealed that the door had separated from the aircraft but before it did, a 3 1/2 inch hole was torn in the top of the fuselage/baggage compartment, presumably by the lock bezel during the repetitive banging. Possible causes of this are the door not being fully locked or, a failure of the lock. This was the old style door without the second latch mechanism and the lock was the only means of securing the door.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32-300 LANCE LOSES ITS BAGGAGE DOOR INFLT. THE ACFT IS DAMAGED BY THE DOOR STRIKING THE FUSELAGE PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE ACFT. RPTRS INTIMATE THAT THE DOOR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CLOSED PROPERLY.

Narrative: DURING A LCL VFR TRAINING FLT AT APPROX 3000 FT MSL, THE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR CAME OPEN INFLT. THE STUDENT/OWNER WAS ON THE CTLS AT THE TIME AND I TOOK THE CTLS. THE DOOR FLIPPED UP AND WAS BANGING ON THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE IN FRONT OF THE WINDSCREEN ON THE COPLT'S SIDE. AFTER APPROX 30 SECONDS THE DOOR SEPARATED APPROX 1/3 DOWN FROM THE HINGE AND DEPARTED THE ACFT WITHOUT STRIKING THE ACFT. THERE WAS NO CTLABILITY PROBS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPEN DOOR EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER SEPARATION. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE AT FDK. A POSTFLT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE DOOR HAD SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT BUT BEFORE IT DID, A 3 1/2 INCH HOLE WAS TORN IN THE TOP OF THE FUSELAGE/BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, PRESUMABLY BY THE LOCK BEZEL DURING THE REPETITIVE BANGING. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF THIS ARE THE DOOR NOT BEING FULLY LOCKED OR, A FAILURE OF THE LOCK. THIS WAS THE OLD STYLE DOOR WITHOUT THE SECOND LATCH MECHANISM AND THE LOCK WAS THE ONLY MEANS OF SECURING THE DOOR.

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.