Diamond DA20 pilot had the passenger door fall off the aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	631349
Time
Date	200409
Day	Sat
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 365 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	631349
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : annunciator door panel other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Sep/sat/04, during climb out from 5m0 at approximately 1800 ft MSL, I noticed an annunciator panel light 'doors' was illuminated. Necessary action was taken, main cabin door was checked and found to be secure. Following main cabin check, the rear passenger door was checked. Interior door catch was observed in the extended position. Upon observation of extended latch, I reached back in an attempt to secure catch. Upon placing forward pressure on latch, the rear passenger door then departed the aircraft. Full attention was then given to ensure the aircraft would maintain controled flight. Once this was determined, exterior was examined visually for any damage caused by departed door. None was observed. Once this was performed, suitable airports were considered. Aircraft was then taken to approximately 4500 ft to assess the handling characteristics of the aircraft in present confign. Upon determining the aircraft to be fully ctlable, suitable airport was chosen and flown to, after consideration was given to WX, terrain and obstructions to flight. Arrived at chosen airport and landed without further incident. Prior to flight, the rear passenger door was closed and latched. I then walked to FBO and was away from aircraft for an estimated 30 mins. Upon return to aircraft, a proper poh preflight was performed. Upon engine start, I announced my intentions at 5m0 and back-taxied to runway 36, where I performed a run-up and found the aircraft suitable for flight. Latched the main canopy, checked instruments, gauges and annunciator panel for takeoff. Everything checked ok with only the pitot light illuminated. Took active runway 36, after announcing intentions, and departed the airport. Exact cause of door departure was not known. We will from now on triplechk the passenger door latch before takeoff roll. No injuries were sustained by either myself or any persons on the ground. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the door fell off onto a house. The owner called police, and after an inspection, they called the FAA. The FAA has begun an investigation. The aircraft manufacturer is redesigning the door. The manufacturer will replace the door with a redesigned model, free of charge.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DIAMOND DA20 PLT HAD THE PAX DOOR FALL OFF THE ACFT.

Narrative: SEP/SAT/04, DURING CLBOUT FROM 5M0 AT APPROX 1800 FT MSL, I NOTICED AN ANNUNCIATOR PANEL LIGHT 'DOORS' WAS ILLUMINATED. NECESSARY ACTION WAS TAKEN, MAIN CABIN DOOR WAS CHKED AND FOUND TO BE SECURE. FOLLOWING MAIN CABIN CHK, THE REAR PAX DOOR WAS CHKED. INTERIOR DOOR CATCH WAS OBSERVED IN THE EXTENDED POS. UPON OBSERVATION OF EXTENDED LATCH, I REACHED BACK IN AN ATTEMPT TO SECURE CATCH. UPON PLACING FORWARD PRESSURE ON LATCH, THE REAR PAX DOOR THEN DEPARTED THE ACFT. FULL ATTN WAS THEN GIVEN TO ENSURE THE ACFT WOULD MAINTAIN CTLED FLT. ONCE THIS WAS DETERMINED, EXTERIOR WAS EXAMINED VISUALLY FOR ANY DAMAGE CAUSED BY DEPARTED DOOR. NONE WAS OBSERVED. ONCE THIS WAS PERFORMED, SUITABLE ARPTS WERE CONSIDERED. ACFT WAS THEN TAKEN TO APPROX 4500 FT TO ASSESS THE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ACFT IN PRESENT CONFIGN. UPON DETERMINING THE ACFT TO BE FULLY CTLABLE, SUITABLE ARPT WAS CHOSEN AND FLOWN TO, AFTER CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN TO WX, TERRAIN AND OBSTRUCTIONS TO FLT. ARRIVED AT CHOSEN ARPT AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. PRIOR TO FLT, THE REAR PAX DOOR WAS CLOSED AND LATCHED. I THEN WALKED TO FBO AND WAS AWAY FROM ACFT FOR AN ESTIMATED 30 MINS. UPON RETURN TO ACFT, A PROPER POH PREFLT WAS PERFORMED. UPON ENG START, I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS AT 5M0 AND BACK-TAXIED TO RWY 36, WHERE I PERFORMED A RUN-UP AND FOUND THE ACFT SUITABLE FOR FLT. LATCHED THE MAIN CANOPY, CHKED INSTS, GAUGES AND ANNUNCIATOR PANEL FOR TKOF. EVERYTHING CHKED OK WITH ONLY THE PITOT LIGHT ILLUMINATED. TOOK ACTIVE RWY 36, AFTER ANNOUNCING INTENTIONS, AND DEPARTED THE ARPT. EXACT CAUSE OF DOOR DEP WAS NOT KNOWN. WE WILL FROM NOW ON TRIPLECHK THE PAX DOOR LATCH BEFORE TKOF ROLL. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY EITHER MYSELF OR ANY PERSONS ON THE GND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE DOOR FELL OFF ONTO A HOUSE. THE OWNER CALLED POLICE, AND AFTER AN INSPECTION, THEY CALLED THE FAA. THE FAA HAS BEGUN AN INVESTIGATION. THE ACFT MANUFACTURER IS REDESIGNING THE DOOR. THE MANUFACTURER WILL REPLACE THE DOOR WITH A REDESIGNED MODEL, FREE OF CHARGE.

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.