Narrative:

While descending through 6000 ft and 160 KTS; the right door violently blew open. The lower hinge failed and the door twisted upward and remained attached only by the upper hinge. As the aircraft was slowed; the door's buffeting lessened and aircraft felt stable at 90 KTS with 50% flaps. An emergency was declared and ATC offered vectors to ZZZ1. I declined ZZZ1 runway as the runway was fairly short and narrow and the ATIS I had just received from ZZZ reported strong and gusty winds (250/18g23). I determined that ZZZ would also not be suitable as runway 20L presented a significant crosswind and I was unsure how the drag of the partially open door would affect the landing. I requested vectors to ZZZ2; runway 25; which is 6000 ft long and 100 ft wide and was oriented into the wind. While in VFR conditions; I followed ATC vectors to ZZZ2 where the landing was uneventful. Before taxi; the door appeared to be closed and latched properly and nothing unusual was noticed during takeoff and climb. During cruise about 20 minutes before the door failure; we noticed light coming through the bottom of the door; and the bottom of the door appeared slightly bowed outward. No air noise or other unusual noises were heard until the door failed. This door is a new model; which latches when pulled shut much like an automobile door; as opposed to the older model in which the door is pulled closed and the door handle rotated forward to engage the locking pins. The aircraft had a previous write-up; which was cleared by maintenance 10 days earlier reporting 'bottom latch on passenger door popped open at cruise.' after this incident; I was informed that within the last month three other cirrus aircraft have experienced door hinge failures.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated this door is installed on the newer type cirrus R22 models and is of the automobile type where the door is closed and checked for being faired with the lower door frame; but being faired with the lower frame is no indication of a positive lock.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CIRRUS R22 IN DSCNT AT 6000 FT; HAD THE R PAX CREW ENTRANCE DOOR FAIL. LOWER HINGE FAILED AND DOOR TWISTED UPWARD AND REMAINED ATTACHED BY THE UPPER HINGE. DOOR HAD PREVIOUS WRITE-UP OF 'DOOR POPPED OPEN IN CRUISE.'

Narrative: WHILE DSNDING THROUGH 6000 FT AND 160 KTS; THE R DOOR VIOLENTLY BLEW OPEN. THE LOWER HINGE FAILED AND THE DOOR TWISTED UPWARD AND REMAINED ATTACHED ONLY BY THE UPPER HINGE. AS THE ACFT WAS SLOWED; THE DOOR'S BUFFETING LESSENED AND ACFT FELT STABLE AT 90 KTS WITH 50% FLAPS. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND ATC OFFERED VECTORS TO ZZZ1. I DECLINED ZZZ1 RWY AS THE RWY WAS FAIRLY SHORT AND NARROW AND THE ATIS I HAD JUST RECEIVED FROM ZZZ RPTED STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS (250/18G23). I DETERMINED THAT ZZZ WOULD ALSO NOT BE SUITABLE AS RWY 20L PRESENTED A SIGNIFICANT XWIND AND I WAS UNSURE HOW THE DRAG OF THE PARTIALLY OPEN DOOR WOULD AFFECT THE LNDG. I REQUESTED VECTORS TO ZZZ2; RWY 25; WHICH IS 6000 FT LONG AND 100 FT WIDE AND WAS ORIENTED INTO THE WIND. WHILE IN VFR CONDITIONS; I FOLLOWED ATC VECTORS TO ZZZ2 WHERE THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. BEFORE TAXI; THE DOOR APPEARED TO BE CLOSED AND LATCHED PROPERLY AND NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS NOTICED DURING TKOF AND CLB. DURING CRUISE ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE DOOR FAILURE; WE NOTICED LIGHT COMING THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR; AND THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR APPEARED SLIGHTLY BOWED OUTWARD. NO AIR NOISE OR OTHER UNUSUAL NOISES WERE HEARD UNTIL THE DOOR FAILED. THIS DOOR IS A NEW MODEL; WHICH LATCHES WHEN PULLED SHUT MUCH LIKE AN AUTOMOBILE DOOR; AS OPPOSED TO THE OLDER MODEL IN WHICH THE DOOR IS PULLED CLOSED AND THE DOOR HANDLE ROTATED FORWARD TO ENGAGE THE LOCKING PINS. THE ACFT HAD A PREVIOUS WRITE-UP; WHICH WAS CLEARED BY MAINT 10 DAYS EARLIER REPORTING 'BOTTOM LATCH ON PAX DOOR POPPED OPEN AT CRUISE.' AFTER THIS INCIDENT; I WAS INFORMED THAT WITHIN THE LAST MONTH THREE OTHER CIRRUS ACFT HAVE EXPERIENCED DOOR HINGE FAILURES.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS DOOR IS INSTALLED ON THE NEWER TYPE CIRRUS R22 MODELS AND IS OF THE AUTOMOBILE TYPE WHERE THE DOOR IS CLOSED AND CHKED FOR BEING FAIRED WITH THE LOWER DOOR FRAME; BUT BEING FAIRED WITH THE LOWER FRAME IS NO INDICATION OF A POSITIVE LOCK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.