Narrative:

Passenger door would not close and stay secured. During takeoff at height of about 5 ft, door suddenly popped open. Resulting increase in drag caused aircraft to settle back on runway, somewhat firmly. Decided to abort takeoff. Aircraft was fine at this point. Realized there was not enough runway to stop on pavement. Decided to ease aircraft off runway into grass. As right main gear left runway r-side dropped down enough the propeller contacted runway edge curling propeller tip. Aircraft came to rest in grass by side of runway. Inspection by mechanic and insurance investigator, as well as myself, disclosed that propeller was damaged, nosewheel deflated, both tires were ground down till they deflated sometime later. Several suspicious crinkles and bends in sheet metal. I called beech about his door. Spoke with their engineers who disclosed that the door is a big problem, due primarily to a low pressure area which develops and pulls the leading edge of the door out. If door latches are not completely engaged door will pop open, with pretty good force (mine resulted in items sitting on right seat being sucked out and littered runway!) beech was of little help. There is a service bulletin out and at least one after-market product to help keep door closed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this is the second event of the cabin entrance door popping open on takeoff with this aircraft. The reporter said other owners of this type had similar door opening experiences. The reporter said the last incident was discussed with been engineering people and, while they admit a problem exists, are not considering a positive fix. The reporter stated an after market fix is available by another vendor. The reporter said the damage to the aircraft was extensive. The propeller, door and nacelle sheet metal and tires needed repair or replacement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH 55 BARON REJECTED TKOF AND EXPERIENCED LOSS OF CTL RESULTING IN EXCURSION FROM THE RWY DUE TO THE CABIN ENTRANCE DOOR OPENING AT LIFT OFF. ACFT INCURRED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE.

Narrative: PAX DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE AND STAY SECURED. DURING TKOF AT HEIGHT OF ABOUT 5 FT, DOOR SUDDENLY POPPED OPEN. RESULTING INCREASE IN DRAG CAUSED ACFT TO SETTLE BACK ON RWY, SOMEWHAT FIRMLY. DECIDED TO ABORT TKOF. ACFT WAS FINE AT THIS POINT. REALIZED THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH RWY TO STOP ON PAVEMENT. DECIDED TO EASE ACFT OFF RWY INTO GRASS. AS R MAIN GEAR LEFT RWY R-SIDE DROPPED DOWN ENOUGH THE PROP CONTACTED RWY EDGE CURLING PROP TIP. ACFT CAME TO REST IN GRASS BY SIDE OF RWY. INSPECTION BY MECHANIC AND INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR, AS WELL AS MYSELF, DISCLOSED THAT PROP WAS DAMAGED, NOSEWHEEL DEFLATED, BOTH TIRES WERE GND DOWN TILL THEY DEFLATED SOMETIME LATER. SEVERAL SUSPICIOUS CRINKLES AND BENDS IN SHEET METAL. I CALLED BEECH ABOUT HIS DOOR. SPOKE WITH THEIR ENGINEERS WHO DISCLOSED THAT THE DOOR IS A BIG PROB, DUE PRIMARILY TO A LOW PRESSURE AREA WHICH DEVELOPS AND PULLS THE LEADING EDGE OF THE DOOR OUT. IF DOOR LATCHES ARE NOT COMPLETELY ENGAGED DOOR WILL POP OPEN, WITH PRETTY GOOD FORCE (MINE RESULTED IN ITEMS SITTING ON R SEAT BEING SUCKED OUT AND LITTERED RWY!) BEECH WAS OF LITTLE HELP. THERE IS A SVC BULLETIN OUT AND AT LEAST ONE AFTER-MARKET PRODUCT TO HELP KEEP DOOR CLOSED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS IS THE SECOND EVENT OF THE CABIN ENTRANCE DOOR POPPING OPEN ON TKOF WITH THIS ACFT. THE RPTR SAID OTHER OWNERS OF THIS TYPE HAD SIMILAR DOOR OPENING EXPERIENCES. THE RPTR SAID THE LAST INCIDENT WAS DISCUSSED WITH BEEN ENGINEERING PEOPLE AND, WHILE THEY ADMIT A PROB EXISTS, ARE NOT CONSIDERING A POSITIVE FIX. THE RPTR STATED AN AFTER MARKET FIX IS AVAILABLE BY ANOTHER VENDOR. THE RPTR SAID THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT WAS EXTENSIVE. THE PROPELLER, DOOR AND NACELLE SHEET METAL AND TIRES NEEDED REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT.

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.