Narrative:

4 of the 7 scheduled passenger showed up early with a small amount of cargo for an XA00 takeoff. I loaded the cargo, which consisted of a small box of books, a leather briefcase and some rolled up drawings into the nose baggage compartment through the left, most aft baggage door. I closed the door in order to extinguish the light inside, but did not completely lock it, because I expected the other passenger to have cargo as well. They did not, however. The remaining passenger showed up a bit late with only carry-on items. Hence, I loaded them into the aircraft, obtained clearance, and taxied to the runway. Run-up completed, I called for and received takeoff clearance. As part of my final pre takeoff checklist, I checked the caution panel for lights. All were extinguished. During the takeoff, just at liftoff, the baggage door popped open and remained in the full open (upright) position. I reduced power and lowered the nose, only to see that too little runway remained for a safe rollout. I then added takeoff power established a climb, raised the gear and completed an unwanted, but necessary trip around the traffic pattern. A line service manager who saw what was happening came out and secured the door and I continued on to my destination. Lessons learned: 1) maintain focus on task at hand. Do not let oneself become distraction by other pac, etc. 2) when closing doors, close and secure each time if you close at all. 3) just prior to boarding aircraft with external doors, make one final walkaround to check for unsecured latches, loose items, chocks, and welcome mats, etc, which could become a hazard during operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C402 PLT, DURING TKOF ROLL, JUST AT LIFTOFF, HAD THE BAGGAGE DOOR COME OPEN.

Narrative: 4 OF THE 7 SCHEDULED PAX SHOWED UP EARLY WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF CARGO FOR AN XA00 TKOF. I LOADED THE CARGO, WHICH CONSISTED OF A SMALL BOX OF BOOKS, A LEATHER BRIEFCASE AND SOME ROLLED UP DRAWINGS INTO THE NOSE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT THROUGH THE L, MOST AFT BAGGAGE DOOR. I CLOSED THE DOOR IN ORDER TO EXTINGUISH THE LIGHT INSIDE, BUT DID NOT COMPLETELY LOCK IT, BECAUSE I EXPECTED THE OTHER PAX TO HAVE CARGO AS WELL. THEY DID NOT, HOWEVER. THE REMAINING PAX SHOWED UP A BIT LATE WITH ONLY CARRY-ON ITEMS. HENCE, I LOADED THEM INTO THE ACFT, OBTAINED CLRNC, AND TAXIED TO THE RWY. RUN-UP COMPLETED, I CALLED FOR AND RECEIVED TKOF CLRNC. AS PART OF MY FINAL PRE TKOF CHKLIST, I CHKED THE CAUTION PANEL FOR LIGHTS. ALL WERE EXTINGUISHED. DURING THE TKOF, JUST AT LIFTOFF, THE BAGGAGE DOOR POPPED OPEN AND REMAINED IN THE FULL OPEN (UPRIGHT) POS. I REDUCED PWR AND LOWERED THE NOSE, ONLY TO SEE THAT TOO LITTLE RWY REMAINED FOR A SAFE ROLLOUT. I THEN ADDED TKOF PWR ESTABLISHED A CLB, RAISED THE GEAR AND COMPLETED AN UNWANTED, BUT NECESSARY TRIP AROUND THE TFC PATTERN. A LINE SVC MGR WHO SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING CAME OUT AND SECURED THE DOOR AND I CONTINUED ON TO MY DEST. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) MAINTAIN FOCUS ON TASK AT HAND. DO NOT LET ONESELF BECOME DISTR BY OTHER PAC, ETC. 2) WHEN CLOSING DOORS, CLOSE AND SECURE EACH TIME IF YOU CLOSE AT ALL. 3) JUST PRIOR TO BOARDING ACFT WITH EXTERNAL DOORS, MAKE ONE FINAL WALKAROUND TO CHK FOR UNSECURED LATCHES, LOOSE ITEMS, CHOCKS, AND WELCOME MATS, ETC, WHICH COULD BECOME A HAZARD DURING OPS.

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.