Narrative:

I was in a rush to depart. My daughter helped with the preflight. She had never done this before. She removed the engine plugs and pitot static plugs; then stowed them in the forward baggage compartment; but she did not know how to latch the door. Meanwhile; I was interrupted by a cell phone call. The baggage door remained closed; but not latched. So I had to abort takeoff when the compartment opened during runway acceleration. I aborted the takeoff; and cleared the runway with the door flapping wildly. I was anxious to get the engine shut down. I was told to contact ground; but simply taxied another 100 ft (without a taxi clearance) to a stop in a parking area; and then belatedly spoke with ground. A lineman quickly came to my plane before I had time to shut down; and indicted he would shut the door. So I idled the engine; and feathered the propeller. He latched the compartment without difficulty; and signaled thumbs up. So I did not have to shut down; and simply called for a new taxi clearance. It was not until 2 days later when I returned to the plane to install the engine plugs that I opened the compartment and found the baggage door snubber (air cylinder) was missing. I had rushed and abbreviated my post engine shutdown procedures on arrival and had not installed the plugs. Lessons: don't rush. Don't be distraction. Don't change preflight patterns. Don't expect a lineman to do a pilot's job.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILURE TO SECURE CARGO DOOR DURING PREFLT RESULTS IN REJECTED TKOF FOR HURRIED TBM7 PLT.

Narrative: I WAS IN A RUSH TO DEPART. MY DAUGHTER HELPED WITH THE PREFLT. SHE HAD NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE. SHE REMOVED THE ENG PLUGS AND PITOT STATIC PLUGS; THEN STOWED THEM IN THE FORWARD BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT; BUT SHE DID NOT KNOW HOW TO LATCH THE DOOR. MEANWHILE; I WAS INTERRUPTED BY A CELL PHONE CALL. THE BAGGAGE DOOR REMAINED CLOSED; BUT NOT LATCHED. SO I HAD TO ABORT TKOF WHEN THE COMPARTMENT OPENED DURING RWY ACCELERATION. I ABORTED THE TKOF; AND CLRED THE RWY WITH THE DOOR FLAPPING WILDLY. I WAS ANXIOUS TO GET THE ENG SHUT DOWN. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT GND; BUT SIMPLY TAXIED ANOTHER 100 FT (WITHOUT A TAXI CLRNC) TO A STOP IN A PARKING AREA; AND THEN BELATEDLY SPOKE WITH GND. A LINEMAN QUICKLY CAME TO MY PLANE BEFORE I HAD TIME TO SHUT DOWN; AND INDICTED HE WOULD SHUT THE DOOR. SO I IDLED THE ENG; AND FEATHERED THE PROP. HE LATCHED THE COMPARTMENT WITHOUT DIFFICULTY; AND SIGNALED THUMBS UP. SO I DID NOT HAVE TO SHUT DOWN; AND SIMPLY CALLED FOR A NEW TAXI CLRNC. IT WAS NOT UNTIL 2 DAYS LATER WHEN I RETURNED TO THE PLANE TO INSTALL THE ENG PLUGS THAT I OPENED THE COMPARTMENT AND FOUND THE BAGGAGE DOOR SNUBBER (AIR CYLINDER) WAS MISSING. I HAD RUSHED AND ABBREVIATED MY POST ENG SHUTDOWN PROCS ON ARR AND HAD NOT INSTALLED THE PLUGS. LESSONS: DON'T RUSH. DON'T BE DISTR. DON'T CHANGE PREFLT PATTERNS. DON'T EXPECT A LINEMAN TO DO A PLT'S JOB.

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.