Narrative:

This was not an accident; nor was there substantial damage to the aircraft. While on a VFR flight plan; I requested and received flight following from approach. As I was handed off and leveling at my intended cruise altitude of 6500 ft; I noticed the cockpit noise seemed unusually loud. At first I thought my sunglasses were interfering with my headset. I took the sunglasses off; but the noise continued. When I noticed the passenger side door latch was up; I reached over and pushed it down. It immediately popped up again. Further inspection revealed the overhead lock mechanism was not engaged on the passenger door and there was a 2-3 inch opening between the top of the door and the cockpit canopy. This gap was the source of the noise. I know an open door should not pose an immediate threat to flight safety; however; I did want to land as soon as possible to close it. ZZZ was in sight at 12 O'clock position. I declared an emergency with approach; requested a straight-in landing at ZZZ and began a descent. ZZZ tower cleared me to land. Once I had the runway made; I leveled off and reduced power. The slower speed allowed the door to open even more and the noise increased. I became concerned that items might begin blowing around in the cockpit. As soon as I was over paved runway; I flared and landed; even though it was the displaced threshold. It was only after touchdown that I saw barricades had been placed across the runway. I successfully steered the nosewheel through an opening in the barriers. There was a thump; but the rollout seemed normal until the aircraft had almost come to a complete stop. At that time; the right wing dropped making contact with the runway and the aircraft pivoted around the downed wing and off the runway onto a gravel shoulder. I shut down; got out and only then realized my right main landing gear was gone. A thin stream of fuel was coming out of the right wing tank. I walked some distance away in case of fire. After some mins; an airport operations officer arrived. I declined his offer to call medical personnel since I was ok; however; I pointed out the fuel leak required attention. He called for a fire crew who arrived and placed a container under the leak and stood by with fire extinguishers. Personnel from an on-field maintenance shop came out and stopped the leak; jacked the wing up and towed the aircraft to their facility. Some local pilots came by the hangar to find out what had happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN IMPROPERLY LATCHED CABIN DOOR LEADS TO AN EMERGENCY LANDING AND GEAR COLLAPSE AT ZZZ FOR PA38 PLT.

Narrative: THIS WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT; NOR WAS THERE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. WHILE ON A VFR FLT PLAN; I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING FROM APCH. AS I WAS HANDED OFF AND LEVELING AT MY INTENDED CRUISE ALT OF 6500 FT; I NOTICED THE COCKPIT NOISE SEEMED UNUSUALLY LOUD. AT FIRST I THOUGHT MY SUNGLASSES WERE INTERFERING WITH MY HEADSET. I TOOK THE SUNGLASSES OFF; BUT THE NOISE CONTINUED. WHEN I NOTICED THE PAX SIDE DOOR LATCH WAS UP; I REACHED OVER AND PUSHED IT DOWN. IT IMMEDIATELY POPPED UP AGAIN. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THE OVERHEAD LOCK MECHANISM WAS NOT ENGAGED ON THE PAX DOOR AND THERE WAS A 2-3 INCH OPENING BTWN THE TOP OF THE DOOR AND THE COCKPIT CANOPY. THIS GAP WAS THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE. I KNOW AN OPEN DOOR SHOULD NOT POSE AN IMMEDIATE THREAT TO FLT SAFETY; HOWEVER; I DID WANT TO LAND ASAP TO CLOSE IT. ZZZ WAS IN SIGHT AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH APCH; REQUESTED A STRAIGHT-IN LNDG AT ZZZ AND BEGAN A DSCNT. ZZZ TWR CLRED ME TO LAND. ONCE I HAD THE RWY MADE; I LEVELED OFF AND REDUCED PWR. THE SLOWER SPD ALLOWED THE DOOR TO OPEN EVEN MORE AND THE NOISE INCREASED. I BECAME CONCERNED THAT ITEMS MIGHT BEGIN BLOWING AROUND IN THE COCKPIT. AS SOON AS I WAS OVER PAVED RWY; I FLARED AND LANDED; EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD. IT WAS ONLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN THAT I SAW BARRICADES HAD BEEN PLACED ACROSS THE RWY. I SUCCESSFULLY STEERED THE NOSEWHEEL THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE BARRIERS. THERE WAS A THUMP; BUT THE ROLLOUT SEEMED NORMAL UNTIL THE ACFT HAD ALMOST COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. AT THAT TIME; THE R WING DROPPED MAKING CONTACT WITH THE RWY AND THE ACFT PIVOTED AROUND THE DOWNED WING AND OFF THE RWY ONTO A GRAVEL SHOULDER. I SHUT DOWN; GOT OUT AND ONLY THEN REALIZED MY R MAIN LNDG GEAR WAS GONE. A THIN STREAM OF FUEL WAS COMING OUT OF THE R WING TANK. I WALKED SOME DISTANCE AWAY IN CASE OF FIRE. AFTER SOME MINS; AN ARPT OPS OFFICER ARRIVED. I DECLINED HIS OFFER TO CALL MEDICAL PERSONNEL SINCE I WAS OK; HOWEVER; I POINTED OUT THE FUEL LEAK REQUIRED ATTN. HE CALLED FOR A FIRE CREW WHO ARRIVED AND PLACED A CONTAINER UNDER THE LEAK AND STOOD BY WITH FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. PERSONNEL FROM AN ON-FIELD MAINT SHOP CAME OUT AND STOPPED THE LEAK; JACKED THE WING UP AND TOWED THE ACFT TO THEIR FACILITY. SOME LCL PLTS CAME BY THE HANGAR TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED.

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.