Narrative:

The following is a narrative of the events that occurred during the jump flight on nov/xa/00, in which I was the PIC. Prior to the flight, I conducted a thorough preflight inspection of the aircraft. Everything was found to be airworthy during the inspection. After the inspection, 4 jumpers boarded the aircraft and all doors and windows were closed and locked. I then taxied the aircraft to runway 15 at arthur dunn air park and conducted an engine run-up. Everything was found airworthy. I made a traffic call and took off runway 15 and began my climb to 10500 ft. At 500 ft, I made a traffic call and departed the arthur dunn area to the east. At 5000 ft, I contacted orl approach and was radar idented and cleared into the class B airspace. I continued the climb to 9000 ft and made a 3 mins to jumpers away call on 123.0 (arthur dunn traffic), a 2 mins to jumpers away call on 134.95 (day approach) and a 1 min to jumpers away call on 124.8 (orl approach). Upon reaching 10300 ft, I leveled the aircraft and called for the door to be opened. The jump master opened the door and the 4 jumpers departed the aircraft. When the jumpers departed, I remained level and called jumpers away on 124.8 (orl approach), 123.0 (arthur dunn traffic) and 134.95) day approach). I maintained level flight, 79 mph and lowered full flaps to further slow the aircraft and help shut the jump door. As the plane slowed, the door began to close and I grabbed the door latching mechanism and started closing and latching the door. Before I could get the door fully latched, the door blew open violently and departed the aircraft. Simultaneously, the pilot's window blew open and departed the aircraft. With the rush of air in the cabin, I found the aircraft a hand-full to control. However, I was able to maintain straight and level flight at about 9700 ft and 80 mph. I raised the flaps and accelerated the aircraft to 90 mph in level flight. I then slowed the aircraft to 75-80 mph to evaluate aircraft performance in my intended landing confign. I detected no problems and began my descent to pattern altitude (800 ft) at arthur dunn. I called jumpers and aircraft below 6000 ft on 124.8. I continued my descent, I called jumpers at 4000 ft on 123.0 (arthur dunn traffic). I made a 45 degree entry to left down for runway 15 at arthur dunn. I made an entry, downwind, base, and final call on 123.0. I detected a slight vibration of the aircraft just prior to touchdown and landed safely. I taxied clear of runway 15, made a clear the active call on 123.0., and taxied the aircraft to parking. After securing the aircraft, I called the orlando FSDO and filled out a NASA form detailing the incident. The center manager called the police and the airport authority/authorized to report the incident. The door was seen by the skydivers and captured on film during free fall. No other information regarding the location of the door is known at this time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot indicated the original cessna door had been modified by an stc that hinged the door so that it opened vertically. A postflt FAA inspection indicated the door was incorrectly installed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C206 PLT HAD THE ACFT DOOR DEPART THE ACFT AFTER PARACHUTE JUMPERS EXITED THE ACFT.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING IS A NARRATIVE OF THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED DURING THE JUMP FLT ON NOV/XA/00, IN WHICH I WAS THE PIC. PRIOR TO THE FLT, I CONDUCTED A THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT. EVERYTHING WAS FOUND TO BE AIRWORTHY DURING THE INSPECTION. AFTER THE INSPECTION, 4 JUMPERS BOARDED THE ACFT AND ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS WERE CLOSED AND LOCKED. I THEN TAXIED THE ACFT TO RWY 15 AT ARTHUR DUNN AIR PARK AND CONDUCTED AN ENG RUN-UP. EVERYTHING WAS FOUND AIRWORTHY. I MADE A TFC CALL AND TOOK OFF RWY 15 AND BEGAN MY CLB TO 10500 FT. AT 500 FT, I MADE A TFC CALL AND DEPARTED THE ARTHUR DUNN AREA TO THE E. AT 5000 FT, I CONTACTED ORL APCH AND WAS RADAR IDENTED AND CLRED INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I CONTINUED THE CLB TO 9000 FT AND MADE A 3 MINS TO JUMPERS AWAY CALL ON 123.0 (ARTHUR DUNN TFC), A 2 MINS TO JUMPERS AWAY CALL ON 134.95 (DAY APCH) AND A 1 MIN TO JUMPERS AWAY CALL ON 124.8 (ORL APCH). UPON REACHING 10300 FT, I LEVELED THE ACFT AND CALLED FOR THE DOOR TO BE OPENED. THE JUMP MASTER OPENED THE DOOR AND THE 4 JUMPERS DEPARTED THE ACFT. WHEN THE JUMPERS DEPARTED, I REMAINED LEVEL AND CALLED JUMPERS AWAY ON 124.8 (ORL APCH), 123.0 (ARTHUR DUNN TFC) AND 134.95) DAY APCH). I MAINTAINED LEVEL FLT, 79 MPH AND LOWERED FULL FLAPS TO FURTHER SLOW THE ACFT AND HELP SHUT THE JUMP DOOR. AS THE PLANE SLOWED, THE DOOR BEGAN TO CLOSE AND I GRABBED THE DOOR LATCHING MECHANISM AND STARTED CLOSING AND LATCHING THE DOOR. BEFORE I COULD GET THE DOOR FULLY LATCHED, THE DOOR BLEW OPEN VIOLENTLY AND DEPARTED THE ACFT. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE PLT'S WINDOW BLEW OPEN AND DEPARTED THE ACFT. WITH THE RUSH OF AIR IN THE CABIN, I FOUND THE ACFT A HAND-FULL TO CTL. HOWEVER, I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT AT ABOUT 9700 FT AND 80 MPH. I RAISED THE FLAPS AND ACCELERATED THE ACFT TO 90 MPH IN LEVEL FLT. I THEN SLOWED THE ACFT TO 75-80 MPH TO EVALUATE ACFT PERFORMANCE IN MY INTENDED LNDG CONFIGN. I DETECTED NO PROBS AND BEGAN MY DSCNT TO PATTERN ALT (800 FT) AT ARTHUR DUNN. I CALLED JUMPERS AND ACFT BELOW 6000 FT ON 124.8. I CONTINUED MY DSCNT, I CALLED JUMPERS AT 4000 FT ON 123.0 (ARTHUR DUNN TFC). I MADE A 45 DEG ENTRY TO L DOWN FOR RWY 15 AT ARTHUR DUNN. I MADE AN ENTRY, DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL CALL ON 123.0. I DETECTED A SLIGHT VIBRATION OF THE ACFT JUST PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN AND LANDED SAFELY. I TAXIED CLR OF RWY 15, MADE A CLR THE ACTIVE CALL ON 123.0., AND TAXIED THE ACFT TO PARKING. AFTER SECURING THE ACFT, I CALLED THE ORLANDO FSDO AND FILLED OUT A NASA FORM DETAILING THE INCIDENT. THE CTR MGR CALLED THE POLICE AND THE ARPT AUTH TO RPT THE INCIDENT. THE DOOR WAS SEEN BY THE SKYDIVERS AND CAPTURED ON FILM DURING FREE FALL. NO OTHER INFO REGARDING THE LOCATION OF THE DOOR IS KNOWN AT THIS TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT INDICATED THE ORIGINAL CESSNA DOOR HAD BEEN MODIFIED BY AN STC THAT HINGED THE DOOR SO THAT IT OPENED VERTLY. A POSTFLT FAA INSPECTION INDICATED THE DOOR WAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED.

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.