Lancair iv aircraft cargo door latches failed after takeoff resulting in cargo door departing aircra...

Attributes
ACN	761562
Time
Date	200711
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower tower : ord.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Lancair Undifferentiated
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 74 flight time total : 2875 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	761562
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Take off at ZZZ; rotate; in climb at 300 ft AGL right turbocharger failed; loss of power. Continued to climb to safe altitude to make a safe turn to return to airport. In turn cargo door latch failed; resulting in cargo door falling from aircraft. Made safe landing at ZZZ.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he loves this aircraft. However; the cargo door latches appear to be a problem. The door is located on the left side of the carbon fiber fuselage. His aircraft is not the pressurized model; so he has only two latches for the cargo door. The pressurized model; known as lancair 4-P; may have six latches due to pressurization. There are two hinges on the cargo door. All models have a pressure seal around the cargo door that inflates using a small air pump. The original cargo door latches are the type that require a key to lock. Reporter stated he believes lancair is aware of the latch issue; but attributes the problem of unlatching to operator error. New replacement latches are available; and are a different spring-loaded type with attachment arms that cannot be unlatched in-flight when the cockpit door is closed. He has not seen any service bulletins from lancair on this issue. Reporter stated his lancair is classified as experimental.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANCAIR IV ACFT CARGO DOOR LATCHES FAILED AFTER TAKEOFF RESULTING IN CARGO DOOR DEPARTING ACFT.

Narrative: TAKE OFF AT ZZZ; ROTATE; IN CLB AT 300 FT AGL RIGHT TURBOCHARGER FAILED; LOSS OF POWER. CONTINUED TO CLB TO SAFE ALTITUDE TO MAKE A SAFE TURN TO RETURN TO ARPT. IN TURN CARGO DOOR LATCH FAILED; RESULTING IN CARGO DOOR FALLING FROM ACFT. MADE SAFE LNDG AT ZZZ.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE LOVES THIS ACFT. HOWEVER; THE CARGO DOOR LATCHES APPEAR TO BE A PROBLEM. THE DOOR IS LOCATED ON THE L SIDE OF THE CARBON FIBER FUSELAGE. HIS ACFT IS NOT THE PRESSURIZED MODEL; SO HE HAS ONLY TWO LATCHES FOR THE CARGO DOOR. THE PRESSURIZED MODEL; KNOWN AS LANCAIR 4-P; MAY HAVE SIX LATCHES DUE TO PRESSURIZATION. THERE ARE TWO HINGES ON THE CARGO DOOR. ALL MODELS HAVE A PRESSURE SEAL AROUND THE CARGO DOOR THAT INFLATES USING A SMALL AIR PUMP. THE ORIGINAL CARGO DOOR LATCHES ARE THE TYPE THAT REQUIRE A KEY TO LOCK. RPTR STATED HE BELIEVES LANCAIR IS AWARE OF THE LATCH ISSUE; BUT ATTRIBUTES THE PROBLEM OF UNLATCHING TO OPERATOR ERROR. NEW REPLACEMENT LATCHES ARE AVAILABLE; AND ARE A DIFFERENT SPRING-LOADED TYPE WITH ATTACHMENT ARMS THAT CANNOT BE UNLATCHED IN-FLIGHT WHEN THE COCKPIT DOOR IS CLOSED. HE HAS NOT SEEN ANY SERVICE BULLETINS FROM LANCAIR ON THIS ISSUE. RPTR STATED HIS LANCAIR IS CLASSIFIED AS EXPERIMENTAL.

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.

Lancair iv aircraft cargo door latches failed after takeoff resulting in cargo door departing aircraft.