Narrative:

I took off from ZZZ1 airport for a pleasure cross country flight to lew. This flight was without incident and I arrived at lew. After lunch, I did a cursory preflight of the airplane. I also wanted to check the position of the foot pedals as they are moveable. The seats of this plane (diamond STAR DA40) are fixed, non moveable. I opened the rear hatch to get the poh to ascertain how to move the pedals. After adjusting the pedals, I returned the book to the stowage compartment and I am most positive that I closed the rear hatch. I say this because to get into the pilot's seat, one must board from in front of the port wing as one looks aft. I do not recall seeing an opened rear hatch as I climbed aboard the plane. One cannot see the rear hatch door while sitting in the pilot's seat. I then moved from the parking area out to the solid yellow line off runway 4/22. I ran through the pre takeoff checklist and did not notice any aberration in the instruments nor any different breezes in the airplane. I then back taxied down runway 4 to the end, made a 180 degree turn and started my takeoff run. When I reached 60 KTS, I started to rotate when I heard a big bang from the rear. I immediately pulled back the throttle and hit the brakes and turned off the runway at the closest taxiway. When I stopped the aircraft, I noted a breeze coming from the rear and then realized that the rear hatch had parted from the aircraft. A member from the FBO retrieved the hatch from the runway and I parked the aircraft on the apron in front of the FBO. The FBO mechanics indicated to me that there was nothing they could do to fix the aircraft at that time and strongly indicated that the plane was unfit to fly. FBO personnel from ZZZ1 came up to lew and flew me and the hatch back to ZZZ1. At this time I do not have any estimate of the cost of repairs. The plane will require a new hatch door and a slight break in the gel coat in the tail assembly, just under the elevator, will have to be checked for any unseen damage. I have no idea of how this door opened. To prevent this occurring in the future, one must doublechk that the hatch is securely latched before any flight.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DA40 STORAGE COMPARTMENT DOOR BLEW OFF DURING TKOF ROLL. REJECTED TKOF.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ1 ARPT FOR A PLEASURE XCOUNTRY FLT TO LEW. THIS FLT WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT AND I ARRIVED AT LEW. AFTER LUNCH, I DID A CURSORY PREFLT OF THE AIRPLANE. I ALSO WANTED TO CHK THE POS OF THE FOOT PEDALS AS THEY ARE MOVEABLE. THE SEATS OF THIS PLANE (DIAMOND STAR DA40) ARE FIXED, NON MOVEABLE. I OPENED THE REAR HATCH TO GET THE POH TO ASCERTAIN HOW TO MOVE THE PEDALS. AFTER ADJUSTING THE PEDALS, I RETURNED THE BOOK TO THE STOWAGE COMPARTMENT AND I AM MOST POSITIVE THAT I CLOSED THE REAR HATCH. I SAY THIS BECAUSE TO GET INTO THE PLT'S SEAT, ONE MUST BOARD FROM IN FRONT OF THE PORT WING AS ONE LOOKS AFT. I DO NOT RECALL SEEING AN OPENED REAR HATCH AS I CLBED ABOARD THE PLANE. ONE CANNOT SEE THE REAR HATCH DOOR WHILE SITTING IN THE PLT'S SEAT. I THEN MOVED FROM THE PARKING AREA OUT TO THE SOLID YELLOW LINE OFF RWY 4/22. I RAN THROUGH THE PRE TKOF CHKLIST AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY ABERRATION IN THE INSTS NOR ANY DIFFERENT BREEZES IN THE AIRPLANE. I THEN BACK TAXIED DOWN RWY 4 TO THE END, MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND STARTED MY TKOF RUN. WHEN I REACHED 60 KTS, I STARTED TO ROTATE WHEN I HEARD A BIG BANG FROM THE REAR. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED BACK THE THROTTLE AND HIT THE BRAKES AND TURNED OFF THE RWY AT THE CLOSEST TXWY. WHEN I STOPPED THE ACFT, I NOTED A BREEZE COMING FROM THE REAR AND THEN REALIZED THAT THE REAR HATCH HAD PARTED FROM THE ACFT. A MEMBER FROM THE FBO RETRIEVED THE HATCH FROM THE RWY AND I PARKED THE ACFT ON THE APRON IN FRONT OF THE FBO. THE FBO MECHS INDICATED TO ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO FIX THE ACFT AT THAT TIME AND STRONGLY INDICATED THAT THE PLANE WAS UNFIT TO FLY. FBO PERSONNEL FROM ZZZ1 CAME UP TO LEW AND FLEW ME AND THE HATCH BACK TO ZZZ1. AT THIS TIME I DO NOT HAVE ANY ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF REPAIRS. THE PLANE WILL REQUIRE A NEW HATCH DOOR AND A SLIGHT BREAK IN THE GEL COAT IN THE TAIL ASSEMBLY, JUST UNDER THE ELEVATOR, WILL HAVE TO BE CHKED FOR ANY UNSEEN DAMAGE. I HAVE NO IDEA OF HOW THIS DOOR OPENED. TO PREVENT THIS OCCURRING IN THE FUTURE, ONE MUST DOUBLECHK THAT THE HATCH IS SECURELY LATCHED BEFORE ANY FLT.

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.