Narrative:

I was flying alone in my C185 on wheels. I received my clearance from ane ground. After runup, I was cleared for takeoff on runway 18 with instructions for right turn and 360 degree heading after takeoff, 3000 ft, expect 4000 ft after 10 mins and the appropriate msp departure frequency. Tower acknowledged my readback. After takeoff, I made contact with approach and thought I received an assigned heading of, again, 360 degrees and 3000 ft. At this point, the left door blew open causing a good deal of microphone wind noise which made it quite difficult to hear. A cessna door can be closed in-flight with the help of appropriate rudder pressure. I did manage to communicate my difficulty to approach and close the door, resolving the communication problem. Approach informed me that they had been trying to reach me to find out why I was off course when they had wanted me to follow a 300 degree heading. They had assigned a 360 degree heading to a beech baron departing behind me, and told me they had been concerned that the beech would overtake me. By this time the beech had passed above and beyond me. I'm unaware whether I misunderstood the approach assigned heading or was issued the wrong heading. I am in the habit of reading back the pertinent details of all clrncs and thought that I had received confirmation. I likely could have improved my ability to hear ATC by turning off the intercom, which would have killed the mikes except when keying the transmitter. I obviously could have prevented the door event by strict adherence to my printed checklist, which includes a pretkof door latch check.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C815 PLT INCURS INFLT DEP DOOR FAILURE WHICH COMPLICATES A BE55 TFC OVERTAKE BECAUSE OF AN INITIAL CLRNC VERIFICATION READBACK ERROR.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ALONE IN MY C185 ON WHEELS. I RECEIVED MY CLRNC FROM ANE GND. AFTER RUNUP, I WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 18 WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR R TURN AND 360 DEG HDG AFTER TKOF, 3000 FT, EXPECT 4000 FT AFTER 10 MINS AND THE APPROPRIATE MSP DEP FREQ. TWR ACKNOWLEDGED MY READBACK. AFTER TKOF, I MADE CONTACT WITH APCH AND THOUGHT I RECEIVED AN ASSIGNED HDG OF, AGAIN, 360 DEGS AND 3000 FT. AT THIS POINT, THE L DOOR BLEW OPEN CAUSING A GOOD DEAL OF MIKE WIND NOISE WHICH MADE IT QUITE DIFFICULT TO HEAR. A CESSNA DOOR CAN BE CLOSED INFLT WITH THE HELP OF APPROPRIATE RUDDER PRESSURE. I DID MANAGE TO COMMUNICATE MY DIFFICULTY TO APCH AND CLOSE THE DOOR, RESOLVING THE COM PROB. APCH INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO REACH ME TO FIND OUT WHY I WAS OFF COURSE WHEN THEY HAD WANTED ME TO FOLLOW A 300 DEG HDG. THEY HAD ASSIGNED A 360 DEG HDG TO A BEECH BARON DEPARTING BEHIND ME, AND TOLD ME THEY HAD BEEN CONCERNED THAT THE BEECH WOULD OVERTAKE ME. BY THIS TIME THE BEECH HAD PASSED ABOVE AND BEYOND ME. I'M UNAWARE WHETHER I MISUNDERSTOOD THE APCH ASSIGNED HDG OR WAS ISSUED THE WRONG HDG. I AM IN THE HABIT OF READING BACK THE PERTINENT DETAILS OF ALL CLRNCS AND THOUGHT THAT I HAD RECEIVED CONFIRMATION. I LIKELY COULD HAVE IMPROVED MY ABILITY TO HEAR ATC BY TURNING OFF THE INTERCOM, WHICH WOULD HAVE KILLED THE MIKES EXCEPT WHEN KEYING THE XMITTER. I OBVIOUSLY COULD HAVE PREVENTED THE DOOR EVENT BY STRICT ADHERENCE TO MY PRINTED CHKLIST, WHICH INCLUDES A PRETKOF DOOR LATCH CHK.

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.