Narrative:

I had completed a charter flight; and stopped in front of the lanai terminal building to deplane my 2 passenger. I was unloading the luggage from front baggage compartment; when a guard approached me and told me to move my airplane to transient parking immediately. He allowed me to escort my passenger with luggage to ramp gate. I decided I should quickly repos the aircraft to the south ramp and hurried back to the airplane. The gas cartridge which holds the cargo door in the upright/open position did not succeed in the wind; and the door appeared shut as I returned to the airplane. I forgot that I had not latched the door and locked it with the key. Typically; the door would be upright (open) and would present itself as an obvious clue that the door was not secure. I moved the aircraft; and then decided to get my IFR clearance while the engines were running. Upon receiving the clearance from hfc approach; I received a void time of 10 mins later. At this point; I forgot my resolve to do a perfunctory walkaround prior to takeoff. I taxied to the departure end of the runway; thinking all was well. My before takeoff checklist complete; I commenced the takeoff roll from the uncontrolled airfield. The runway is paved; 5000 ft long. It is a good airport runway. At approximately 65 KTS; the cargo door popped open to the fully extended position. I aborted the takeoff immediately; and braked to an uneventful stop. I cleared the active runway; and advised center that my departure would be delayed. I shut the engines down; and did a careful inspection of the wheels/brakes. The brakes were hot; but not smoking. There was no sign of abnormal conditions I elected to allow the brakes to cool for 20 mins; to preclude any problems in stopping the aircraft if I had to abort for any reason on the second takeoff attempt. I had a personal talk with myself as I waited. I then obtained my takeoff clearance from center; and departed. I know it is essential to check all doors prior to takeoff. The faulty door strut and the parking hassle set up an error chain; and I fell victim to compromising my high standards. Luckily; no baggage was in the nose; and the event led to no mishap. Pilots must be vigilant to do a good preflight!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C421 PLT REJECTED TKOF WHEN A CARGO DOOR OPENED DURING TKOF ROLL.

Narrative: I HAD COMPLETED A CHARTER FLT; AND STOPPED IN FRONT OF THE LANAI TERMINAL BUILDING TO DEPLANE MY 2 PAX. I WAS UNLOADING THE LUGGAGE FROM FRONT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT; WHEN A GUARD APCHED ME AND TOLD ME TO MOVE MY AIRPLANE TO TRANSIENT PARKING IMMEDIATELY. HE ALLOWED ME TO ESCORT MY PAX WITH LUGGAGE TO RAMP GATE. I DECIDED I SHOULD QUICKLY REPOS THE ACFT TO THE S RAMP AND HURRIED BACK TO THE AIRPLANE. THE GAS CARTRIDGE WHICH HOLDS THE CARGO DOOR IN THE UPRIGHT/OPEN POS DID NOT SUCCEED IN THE WIND; AND THE DOOR APPEARED SHUT AS I RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE. I FORGOT THAT I HAD NOT LATCHED THE DOOR AND LOCKED IT WITH THE KEY. TYPICALLY; THE DOOR WOULD BE UPRIGHT (OPEN) AND WOULD PRESENT ITSELF AS AN OBVIOUS CLUE THAT THE DOOR WAS NOT SECURE. I MOVED THE ACFT; AND THEN DECIDED TO GET MY IFR CLRNC WHILE THE ENGS WERE RUNNING. UPON RECEIVING THE CLRNC FROM HFC APCH; I RECEIVED A VOID TIME OF 10 MINS LATER. AT THIS POINT; I FORGOT MY RESOLVE TO DO A PERFUNCTORY WALKAROUND PRIOR TO TKOF. I TAXIED TO THE DEP END OF THE RWY; THINKING ALL WAS WELL. MY BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST COMPLETE; I COMMENCED THE TKOF ROLL FROM THE UNCTLED AIRFIELD. THE RWY IS PAVED; 5000 FT LONG. IT IS A GOOD ARPT RWY. AT APPROX 65 KTS; THE CARGO DOOR POPPED OPEN TO THE FULLY EXTENDED POS. I ABORTED THE TKOF IMMEDIATELY; AND BRAKED TO AN UNEVENTFUL STOP. I CLRED THE ACTIVE RWY; AND ADVISED CTR THAT MY DEP WOULD BE DELAYED. I SHUT THE ENGS DOWN; AND DID A CAREFUL INSPECTION OF THE WHEELS/BRAKES. THE BRAKES WERE HOT; BUT NOT SMOKING. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF ABNORMAL CONDITIONS I ELECTED TO ALLOW THE BRAKES TO COOL FOR 20 MINS; TO PRECLUDE ANY PROBS IN STOPPING THE ACFT IF I HAD TO ABORT FOR ANY REASON ON THE SECOND TKOF ATTEMPT. I HAD A PERSONAL TALK WITH MYSELF AS I WAITED. I THEN OBTAINED MY TKOF CLRNC FROM CTR; AND DEPARTED. I KNOW IT IS ESSENTIAL TO CHK ALL DOORS PRIOR TO TKOF. THE FAULTY DOOR STRUT AND THE PARKING HASSLE SET UP AN ERROR CHAIN; AND I FELL VICTIM TO COMPROMISING MY HIGH STANDARDS. LUCKILY; NO BAGGAGE WAS IN THE NOSE; AND THE EVENT LED TO NO MISHAP. PLTS MUST BE VIGILANT TO DO A GOOD PREFLT!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.