Narrative:

I departed runway (7000 ft long) rotated at 90 KTS, upon reaching vyse (100 KTS blue line) I retracted the gear (about 50 ft AGL). As the gear retracted (5 second cycle) the co-pilot door popped open, pulling the co-pilot shoulder harness outside the plane. The steel buckle was pounding against the side of the plane, causing considerable noise and pilot distraction. Since there was 4000 ft of runway remaining, I opted to abort the takeoff, in order to prevent damage to the side of the fuselage from the belt buckle. I reduced the power to idle and landed, without putting the gear down. With the noise from the buckle, the wind at 100 KTS and a noise cancelling headset on, the gear warning horn was inaudible. At 50 ft AGL, the time from power reduction to touchdown was about 10 seconds. Since gear extension time is approximately 5 seconds, this only left a 5 second time window for pilot decision, recognition and action, insufficient obviously even for a high-time in type (9000+ hours) pilot. The problem with doors popping open on takeoff is systematic and chronic in barons and bonanzas (with the same door latch). In cold weather the locking pins (which are spring loaded) sometimes stick and do not go into the door frame. I have flown barons for about 2 decades, and every one of them has this problem. After the landing, I demonstrated the pin problem to the safety inspector, and they failed to deploy properly! I would recommend beechcraft (raytheon) be required to fix this problem. Also the 'emergency procedures' section (poh) should include a statement, 'once the landing gear has been retracted a balked takeoff to landing is not recommended.' the above sequence of events is not covered in the poh. So I hope this report will be disseminated so other pilots may benefit from it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated there was just not enough time to extend the landing gear and he landed gear up. Damage incurred to the engines, belly skin, spar caps, and antenna. In the reporter's opinion, the main cause of this incident was the right door popping open and carrying the shoulder harness outside. Reporter stated that this door latch is a recurring problem that the manufacturer has never corrected and has caused many problems. The reporter further stated that the door latch has two spring loaded locking pins that cannot be visually checked and the door handle positioned in the closed and locked position does not indicate the pins are positively inserted and locked.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE58 BARON AT 50 FT AGL RETRACTED THE LNDG GEAR AND THEN THE R DOOR POPPED OPEN, PULLING THE SHOULDER HARNESS OUTSIDE. THE STEEL BUCKLE BEGAN POUNDING ON THE SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. PULLED BACK POWER AND LANDED GEAR UP.

Narrative: I DEPARTED RWY (7000 FT LONG) ROTATED AT 90 KTS, UPON REACHING VYSE (100 KTS BLUE LINE) I RETRACTED THE GEAR (ABOUT 50 FT AGL). AS THE GEAR RETRACTED (5 SECOND CYCLE) THE CO-PLT DOOR POPPED OPEN, PULLING THE CO-PLT SHOULDER HARNESS OUTSIDE THE PLANE. THE STEEL BUCKLE WAS POUNDING AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE PLANE, CAUSING CONSIDERABLE NOISE AND PLT DISTRACTION. SINCE THERE WAS 4000 FT OF RWY REMAINING, I OPTED TO ABORT THE TKOF, IN ORDER TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE FROM THE BELT BUCKLE. I REDUCED THE POWER TO IDLE AND LANDED, WITHOUT PUTTING THE GEAR DOWN. WITH THE NOISE FROM THE BUCKLE, THE WIND AT 100 KTS AND A NOISE CANCELLING HEADSET ON, THE GEAR WARNING HORN WAS INAUDIBLE. AT 50 FT AGL, THE TIME FROM POWER REDUCTION TO TOUCHDOWN WAS ABOUT 10 SECONDS. SINCE GEAR EXTENSION TIME IS APPROX 5 SECONDS, THIS ONLY LEFT A 5 SECOND TIME WINDOW FOR PLT DECISION, RECOGNITION AND ACTION, INSUFFICIENT OBVIOUSLY EVEN FOR A HIGH-TIME IN TYPE (9000+ HOURS) PLT. THE PROB WITH DOORS POPPING OPEN ON TKOF IS SYSTEMATIC AND CHRONIC IN BARONS AND BONANZAS (WITH THE SAME DOOR LATCH). IN COLD WEATHER THE LOCKING PINS (WHICH ARE SPRING LOADED) SOMETIMES STICK AND DO NOT GO INTO THE DOOR FRAME. I HAVE FLOWN BARONS FOR ABOUT 2 DECADES, AND EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS THIS PROB. AFTER THE LNDG, I DEMONSTRATED THE PIN PROB TO THE SAFETY INSPECTOR, AND THEY FAILED TO DEPLOY PROPERLY! I WOULD RECOMMEND BEECHCRAFT (RAYTHEON) BE REQUIRED TO FIX THIS PROB. ALSO THE 'EMER PROCS' SECTION (POH) SHOULD INCLUDE A STATEMENT, 'ONCE THE LNDG GEAR HAS BEEN RETRACTED A BALKED TKOF TO LNDG IS NOT RECOMMENDED.' THE ABOVE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IS NOT COVERED IN THE POH. SO I HOPE THIS RPT WILL BE DISSEMINATED SO OTHER PLTS MAY BENEFIT FROM IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THERE WAS JUST NOT ENOUGH TIME TO EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR AND HE LANDED GEAR UP. DAMAGE INCURRED TO THE ENGS, BELLY SKIN, SPAR CAPS, AND ANTENNA. IN THE RPTR'S OPINION, THE MAIN CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS THE R DOOR POPPING OPEN AND CARRYING THE SHOULDER HARNESS OUTSIDE. RPTR STATED THAT THIS DOOR LATCH IS A RECURRING PROB THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAS NEVER CORRECTED AND HAS CAUSED MANY PROBS. THE RPTR FURTHER STATED THAT THE DOOR LATCH HAS TWO SPRING LOADED LOCKING PINS THAT CANNOT BE VISUALLY CHKED AND THE DOOR HANDLE POSITIONED IN THE CLOSED AND LOCKED POSITION DOES NOT INDICATE THE PINS ARE POSITIVELY INSERTED AND LOCKED.

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.