Narrative:

The single pilot who departed in a C402 without observed reference to checklists failed to close and latch his pilot side window before takeoff. The pilot had headphones on; so communication between the passenger and the pilot was obstructed. The pilot leaned on the open pilot side door during departure and tried to close it one-handed. He was unable to close the door and at times needed 2 hands to control the aircraft during his climb out. Conditions were gusty and the pilot briefed the passenger that there would be turbulent conditions encountered in the flight. When the pilot took his hands off of the controls to close the window; the plane rolled which required him to take control of the aircraft with 1 hand. For the remainder of the flight he held the door closed with his left hand and flew; dialed and throttled with his right hand. The passenger offered to help close the door while at cruising altitude when the autoplt was engaged before we got close to the ground in gusty conditions; and he refused. Cabin noise was loud and passenger held their ears. The pilot made a one-handed landing without event. If there were an in-flight emergency; severe turbulence or other task which required the pilot to use both hands at low altitude; the door could have opened and at minimum distraction pilot and passenger; and at worst altered flight characteristics. The pilot told the passenger that 'sometimes a pin pops out of the doors and they open during flight.' he also said that this does not affect safe operation of the aircraft. The pilot's failure to use checklists and secure the cabin prior to flight contributed to a dangerous flight which was exacerbated by turbulent conditions which required 2 hands to control the aircraft. Refusing passenger help and continuing flight without a secure cabin put life and aircraft at needless risk. I wonder if the pilot was afraid that his failure to close the door would cause repercussions which caused him to downplay the event and then lie to the passenger about its cause? Open doors are dangerous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT RATED PAX ABOARD C402 BELIEVES THE PIC ACTED UNPROFESSIONALLY IN RESPONSE TO A CABIN WINDOW NOT CLOSED BEFORE TKOF.

Narrative: THE SINGLE PLT WHO DEPARTED IN A C402 WITHOUT OBSERVED REF TO CHKLISTS FAILED TO CLOSE AND LATCH HIS PLT SIDE WINDOW BEFORE TKOF. THE PLT HAD HEADPHONES ON; SO COM BTWN THE PAX AND THE PLT WAS OBSTRUCTED. THE PLT LEANED ON THE OPEN PLT SIDE DOOR DURING DEP AND TRIED TO CLOSE IT ONE-HANDED. HE WAS UNABLE TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND AT TIMES NEEDED 2 HANDS TO CTL THE ACFT DURING HIS CLBOUT. CONDITIONS WERE GUSTY AND THE PLT BRIEFED THE PAX THAT THERE WOULD BE TURBULENT CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED IN THE FLT. WHEN THE PLT TOOK HIS HANDS OFF OF THE CTLS TO CLOSE THE WINDOW; THE PLANE ROLLED WHICH REQUIRED HIM TO TAKE CTL OF THE ACFT WITH 1 HAND. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT HE HELD THE DOOR CLOSED WITH HIS L HAND AND FLEW; DIALED AND THROTTLED WITH HIS R HAND. THE PAX OFFERED TO HELP CLOSE THE DOOR WHILE AT CRUISING ALT WHEN THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED BEFORE WE GOT CLOSE TO THE GND IN GUSTY CONDITIONS; AND HE REFUSED. CABIN NOISE WAS LOUD AND PAX HELD THEIR EARS. THE PLT MADE A ONE-HANDED LNDG WITHOUT EVENT. IF THERE WERE AN INFLT EMER; SEVERE TURB OR OTHER TASK WHICH REQUIRED THE PLT TO USE BOTH HANDS AT LOW ALT; THE DOOR COULD HAVE OPENED AND AT MINIMUM DISTR PLT AND PAX; AND AT WORST ALTERED FLT CHARACTERISTICS. THE PLT TOLD THE PAX THAT 'SOMETIMES A PIN POPS OUT OF THE DOORS AND THEY OPEN DURING FLT.' HE ALSO SAID THAT THIS DOES NOT AFFECT SAFE OP OF THE ACFT. THE PLT'S FAILURE TO USE CHKLISTS AND SECURE THE CABIN PRIOR TO FLT CONTRIBUTED TO A DANGEROUS FLT WHICH WAS EXACERBATED BY TURBULENT CONDITIONS WHICH REQUIRED 2 HANDS TO CTL THE ACFT. REFUSING PAX HELP AND CONTINUING FLT WITHOUT A SECURE CABIN PUT LIFE AND ACFT AT NEEDLESS RISK. I WONDER IF THE PLT WAS AFRAID THAT HIS FAILURE TO CLOSE THE DOOR WOULD CAUSE REPERCUSSIONS WHICH CAUSED HIM TO DOWNPLAY THE EVENT AND THEN LIE TO THE PAX ABOUT ITS CAUSE? OPEN DOORS ARE DANGEROUS.

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.