Narrative:

This aircraft was freshly painted from the paint shop and I was returning the aircraft under part 91 rules and filed as part 91. During the takeoff roll; the cockpit door opened and the first officer aborted the takeoff. After taxiing back to the departure runway; we secured the door and attempted another takeoff. The door again opened on the takeoff roll; but due to the remaining runway and required stopping distance; the first officer elected not to abort the takeoff and flew around the pattern and landed. After landing; we inspected the door and believed that the door was not properly latched. We then departed without incident. Shortly into cruise flight; the door again opened and we chose to divert and land. The first officer then contacted our operation division and followed up with company maintenance personnel. After seeking advice; a local mechanic came to the aircraft and inspected the door adjusting the latch pin. The first officer again followed up with company maintenance personnel which advised we would not need any paperwork for the flight home. Being as this was a part 91 operation; we did not complete any documentation of the possible discrepancy with the door. The first officer and I proceeded to depart and on the takeoff roll the door opened. After another attempt; I discovered that the door was appearing to open slowly and deduced this was from wind resistance to the latch. A piece of tape was placed over the latch to prevent wind resistance from opening the door and we were able to safely return to our original destination. Upon arrival; maintenance personnel; documented as a discrepancy in the aircraft logs; and addressed immediately by company maintenance personnel. We reported the incident to the chief pilot's office of our operation. I believe this was a worn latch that needed maintenance. Both pilots aboard the aircraft and all company personnel involved believed this flight to be operating under part 91 rules and not regulated by part 135 maintenance logging requirements. The door was discovered to be problematic after recent maintenance was performed. The problem was believed to have been properly corrected and flight was continued under part 91 rules. Clarification of the rules applicable to flight with an aircraft listed on a part 135 certificate and operated under part 91 rules. FAA and company policy should be reviewed and clearly address this conflict. Both pilots involved have attended remedial training and further investigate regulatory requirements on maintenance records and applicable regulations regarding flight under part 91 and part 135 operating rules. All company personnel involved in the incident believed this flight to be conducted under part 91 rules and not required to comply with the far part 135.65 reporting mechanical irregularities regulation. Personnel involved wanted to complete the repositioning mission and return the aircraft safely within regulatory compliance to the maintenance facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE58 FLT CREW HAS DOOR COME OPEN SEVERAL TIMES DURING FERRY FLIGHT; RESULTING IN REJECTED TKOF AND DIVERSIONS.

Narrative: THIS ACFT WAS FRESHLY PAINTED FROM THE PAINT SHOP AND I WAS RETURNING THE ACFT UNDER PART 91 RULES AND FILED AS PART 91. DURING THE TKOF ROLL; THE COCKPIT DOOR OPENED AND THE FO ABORTED THE TKOF. AFTER TAXIING BACK TO THE DEP RWY; WE SECURED THE DOOR AND ATTEMPTED ANOTHER TKOF. THE DOOR AGAIN OPENED ON THE TKOF ROLL; BUT DUE TO THE REMAINING RWY AND REQUIRED STOPPING DISTANCE; THE FO ELECTED NOT TO ABORT THE TKOF AND FLEW AROUND THE PATTERN AND LANDED. AFTER LNDG; WE INSPECTED THE DOOR AND BELIEVED THAT THE DOOR WAS NOT PROPERLY LATCHED. WE THEN DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. SHORTLY INTO CRUISE FLT; THE DOOR AGAIN OPENED AND WE CHOSE TO DIVERT AND LAND. THE FO THEN CONTACTED OUR OP DIVISION AND FOLLOWED UP WITH COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL. AFTER SEEKING ADVICE; A LCL MECH CAME TO THE ACFT AND INSPECTED THE DOOR ADJUSTING THE LATCH PIN. THE FO AGAIN FOLLOWED UP WITH COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL WHICH ADVISED WE WOULD NOT NEED ANY PAPERWORK FOR THE FLT HOME. BEING AS THIS WAS A PART 91 OP; WE DID NOT COMPLETE ANY DOCUMENTATION OF THE POSSIBLE DISCREPANCY WITH THE DOOR. THE FO AND I PROCEEDED TO DEPART AND ON THE TKOF ROLL THE DOOR OPENED. AFTER ANOTHER ATTEMPT; I DISCOVERED THAT THE DOOR WAS APPEARING TO OPEN SLOWLY AND DEDUCED THIS WAS FROM WIND RESISTANCE TO THE LATCH. A PIECE OF TAPE WAS PLACED OVER THE LATCH TO PREVENT WIND RESISTANCE FROM OPENING THE DOOR AND WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY RETURN TO OUR ORIGINAL DEST. UPON ARR; MAINT PERSONNEL; DOCUMENTED AS A DISCREPANCY IN THE ACFT LOGS; AND ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY BY COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL. WE RPTED THE INCIDENT TO THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE OF OUR OP. I BELIEVE THIS WAS A WORN LATCH THAT NEEDED MAINT. BOTH PLTS ABOARD THE ACFT AND ALL COMPANY PERSONNEL INVOLVED BELIEVED THIS FLT TO BE OPERATING UNDER PART 91 RULES AND NOT REGULATED BY PART 135 MAINT LOGGING REQUIREMENTS. THE DOOR WAS DISCOVERED TO BE PROBLEMATIC AFTER RECENT MAINT WAS PERFORMED. THE PROB WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN PROPERLY CORRECTED AND FLT WAS CONTINUED UNDER PART 91 RULES. CLARIFICATION OF THE RULES APPLICABLE TO FLT WITH AN ACFT LISTED ON A PART 135 CERTIFICATE AND OPERATED UNDER PART 91 RULES. FAA AND COMPANY POLICY SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND CLEARLY ADDRESS THIS CONFLICT. BOTH PLTS INVOLVED HAVE ATTENDED REMEDIAL TRAINING AND FURTHER INVESTIGATE REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS ON MAINT RECORDS AND APPLICABLE REGS REGARDING FLT UNDER PART 91 AND PART 135 OPERATING RULES. ALL COMPANY PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT BELIEVED THIS FLT TO BE CONDUCTED UNDER PART 91 RULES AND NOT REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE FAR PART 135.65 RPTING MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES REG. PERSONNEL INVOLVED WANTED TO COMPLETE THE REPOSITIONING MISSION AND RETURN THE ACFT SAFELY WITHIN REGULATORY COMPLIANCE TO THE MAINT FACILITY.

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.