Narrative:

I was awoken from a sound sleep by dispatch and told that I needed to reposition as soon as possible to ZZZ1 from ZZZ2 as WX appeared to be going down at ZZZ1. Ground icing conditions were present at ZZZ2 in the form of snow (sticking to the aircraft) and freezing fog. It took over an hour to prepare the aircraft for flight which added to the urgency to get off the ground. I had to get into the nose baggage compartment to access a brush that's used in the deicing process. I didn't do a walkaround before starting the engines for taxi and takeoff; which resulted in not catching the nose baggage door still unlatched. Just after takeoff; the baggage door came open and I requested from tower to come around and land. I was asked if I could do so in VFR conditions to which I replied in the affirmative. (At the time; I took this to mean 'could I land visually?' without losing sight of the runway.) I was cleared to make left closed traffic and did so without incident. I suppose I could have declared an emergency if I'd been denied to make closed traffic due to the low visibility; but the situation was under control and I was busy enough keeping track of the airport and my airspeed; etc. It was my best judgement to not fly off into the clouds and make an approach with the baggage door open for fear of what might happen during the flight with the door open at the higher speeds that might be obtained during maneuvering and the approach; not to mention the duration of the flight with the door open. Being in a hurry in any aviation situation can lead to dangerous performance and critical items being overlooked as was the case here. A walk around the plane would have corrected this situation. I was lucky in that the WX was not worse than it was and that the C402 is not adversely affected in flight at relatively low airspds with the nose compartment baggage door open. On another day; in a different plane; things might not have turned out so well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOLLOWING A HASTY PREFLT A C402 DEPARTED ONLY TO HAVE THE CARGO DOOR OPEN AFTER TKOF REQUIRING A CLOSE IN RETURN TO LAND.

Narrative: I WAS AWOKEN FROM A SOUND SLEEP BY DISPATCH AND TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO REPOSITION ASAP TO ZZZ1 FROM ZZZ2 AS WX APPEARED TO BE GOING DOWN AT ZZZ1. GND ICING CONDITIONS WERE PRESENT AT ZZZ2 IN THE FORM OF SNOW (STICKING TO THE ACFT) AND FREEZING FOG. IT TOOK OVER AN HR TO PREPARE THE ACFT FOR FLT WHICH ADDED TO THE URGENCY TO GET OFF THE GND. I HAD TO GET INTO THE NOSE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT TO ACCESS A BRUSH THAT'S USED IN THE DEICING PROCESS. I DIDN'T DO A WALKAROUND BEFORE STARTING THE ENGS FOR TAXI AND TKOF; WHICH RESULTED IN NOT CATCHING THE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR STILL UNLATCHED. JUST AFTER TKOF; THE BAGGAGE DOOR CAME OPEN AND I REQUESTED FROM TWR TO COME AROUND AND LAND. I WAS ASKED IF I COULD DO SO IN VFR CONDITIONS TO WHICH I REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. (AT THE TIME; I TOOK THIS TO MEAN 'COULD I LAND VISUALLY?' WITHOUT LOSING SIGHT OF THE RWY.) I WAS CLRED TO MAKE L CLOSED TFC AND DID SO WITHOUT INCIDENT. I SUPPOSE I COULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER IF I'D BEEN DENIED TO MAKE CLOSED TFC DUE TO THE LOW VISIBILITY; BUT THE SITUATION WAS UNDER CTL AND I WAS BUSY ENOUGH KEEPING TRACK OF THE ARPT AND MY AIRSPD; ETC. IT WAS MY BEST JUDGEMENT TO NOT FLY OFF INTO THE CLOUDS AND MAKE AN APCH WITH THE BAGGAGE DOOR OPEN FOR FEAR OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN DURING THE FLT WITH THE DOOR OPEN AT THE HIGHER SPDS THAT MIGHT BE OBTAINED DURING MANEUVERING AND THE APCH; NOT TO MENTION THE DURATION OF THE FLT WITH THE DOOR OPEN. BEING IN A HURRY IN ANY AVIATION SITUATION CAN LEAD TO DANGEROUS PERFORMANCE AND CRITICAL ITEMS BEING OVERLOOKED AS WAS THE CASE HERE. A WALK AROUND THE PLANE WOULD HAVE CORRECTED THIS SITUATION. I WAS LUCKY IN THAT THE WX WAS NOT WORSE THAN IT WAS AND THAT THE C402 IS NOT ADVERSELY AFFECTED IN FLT AT RELATIVELY LOW AIRSPDS WITH THE NOSE COMPARTMENT BAGGAGE DOOR OPEN. ON ANOTHER DAY; IN A DIFFERENT PLANE; THINGS MIGHT NOT HAVE TURNED OUT SO WELL.

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.