Narrative:

I was the captain on the flight and was the PNF and the first officer was the PF. We departed the gate early and there was no sense of pressing for time. We checked the cockpit door before we pushed to make sure it is closed and locked and verified on the indication on the center column. We were about 90% capacity on the passengers at the back. We were in line for takeoff on runway 36L. A crj was ahead of us and was currently number 1 for takeoff -- full length. A corporate plane was instructed to takeoff on runway 36L intersection E4. Since it is not allowed according to ATC to have both aircraft on the same runway; the crj was holding for position while the inbound aircraft was about 4 miles out and the corporate plane was taking off. ATC informed the crj to prepare for an immediate takeoff since the inbound aircraft was about 4 miles out for runway 36L. When the ATC cleared the crj for an immediate takeoff; he powered up so much that our aircraft was shaken up and got erroneous EICAS messages that later cleared out. We were not even that dangerously near his tailpipe. When it was our turn for takeoff; we took off normally with a flex takeoff. We were rolling down the uneven runway and I called 80 KIAS. We were slightly going up and down the runway because of the uneven runway. Around 101 or 110 KIAS; I heard an unusual sound not heard on a takeoff roll. I think it was a clicking sound. Part of my headset only uses the left side of my ear so I was able to hear this. Then suddenly; afterwards; the cockpit door opened during the takeoff roll. It was swinging during the roll while still attached to the cockpit. We already passed 80 KIAS and were close to the V1 of approximately 130 KIAS. I informed the first officer to continue instead of rejecting the takeoff since I feel it was unsafe to do so at that time. A few seconds after the door opening; we were at V1; vr; and climbing with the gear up. The door remained attached while open and I was able to grab a hold of it as soon as we were able to turn the autopilot on. The first officer/PF now has the radios as well. As I was trying to close and lock it; we noticed that the small latching mechanism on the side of the door which activates the locked light button; on the pedestal; was not wanting in giving us a proper indication and lock the door. It was not fully inside. I had to manually flush that mechanism and pull hard inward to electronically lock it. It took a few attempts but was successful in the end. Later on; I spoke to the flight attendant's and informed them of what had happened. The inadvertent disarming of the door electronically has happened to me in several occasions before during turbulent conditions specifically on the E175. It only gave us a blinking indication time to time in flight when it was close to continuous to occasional moderate turbulence. But; we were able to catch it as we scan around the cockpit. So there was not inadvertent opening of the door. On this situation with my hand on the tl's; I wasn't really able to see the indicator light on the pedestal. I believe when the crj powered up this loosened the latching mechanism on the door that barely keeping it locked as indicated on the pedestal as well as when we powered up for takeoff. When we were rolling down the uneven runway; that's when the door mechanism gave in and opened the door. I really don't know what else we could have prevented on this or checked and double checked. As I am aware of this problem on the E175; I tend to be more cautious every time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB175 HAS COCKPIT DOOR OPEN ON TAKEOFF. REPORTER STATES THIS IS A RECURRENT PROBLEM WITH THIS AIRCRAFT.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPTAIN ON THE FLIGHT AND WAS THE PNF AND THE FO WAS THE PF. WE DEPARTED THE GATE EARLY AND THERE WAS NO SENSE OF PRESSING FOR TIME. WE CHECKED THE COCKPIT DOOR BEFORE WE PUSHED TO MAKE SURE IT IS CLOSED AND LOCKED AND VERIFIED ON THE INDICATION ON THE CENTER COLUMN. WE WERE ABOUT 90% CAPACITY ON THE PASSENGERS AT THE BACK. WE WERE IN LINE FOR TKOF ON RWY 36L. A CRJ WAS AHEAD OF US AND WAS CURRENTLY NUMBER 1 FOR TKOF -- FULL LENGTH. A CORPORATE PLANE WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKEOFF ON RWY 36L INTERSECTION E4. SINCE IT IS NOT ALLOWED ACCORDING TO ATC TO HAVE BOTH ACFT ON THE SAME RWY; THE CRJ WAS HOLDING FOR POSITION WHILE THE INBOUND ACFT WAS ABOUT 4 MILES OUT AND THE CORPORATE PLANE WAS TAKING OFF. ATC INFORMED THE CRJ TO PREPARE FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF SINCE THE INBOUND ACFT WAS ABOUT 4 MILES OUT FOR RWY 36L. WHEN THE ATC CLEARED THE CRJ FOR AN IMMEDIATE TAKEOFF; HE POWERED UP SO MUCH THAT OUR ACFT WAS SHAKEN UP AND GOT ERRONEOUS EICAS MESSAGES THAT LATER CLEARED OUT. WE WERE NOT EVEN THAT DANGEROUSLY NEAR HIS TAILPIPE. WHEN IT WAS OUR TURN FOR TKOF; WE TOOK OFF NORMALLY WITH A FLEX TKOF. WE WERE ROLLING DOWN THE UNEVEN RWY AND I CALLED 80 KIAS. WE WERE SLIGHTLY GOING UP AND DOWN THE RWY BECAUSE OF THE UNEVEN RWY. AROUND 101 OR 110 KIAS; I HEARD AN UNUSUAL SOUND NOT HEARD ON A TAKEOFF ROLL. I THINK IT WAS A CLICKING SOUND. PART OF MY HEADSET ONLY USES THE LEFT SIDE OF MY EAR SO I WAS ABLE TO HEAR THIS. THEN SUDDENLY; AFTERWARDS; THE COCKPIT DOOR OPENED DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. IT WAS SWINGING DURING THE ROLL WHILE STILL ATTACHED TO THE COCKPIT. WE ALREADY PASSED 80 KIAS AND WERE CLOSE TO THE V1 OF APPROXIMATELY 130 KIAS. I INFORMED THE FO TO CONTINUE INSTEAD OF REJECTING THE TKOF SINCE I FEEL IT WAS UNSAFE TO DO SO AT THAT TIME. A FEW SECONDS AFTER THE DOOR OPENING; WE WERE AT V1; VR; AND CLIMBING WITH THE GEAR UP. THE DOOR REMAINED ATTACHED WHILE OPEN AND I WAS ABLE TO GRAB A HOLD OF IT AS SOON AS WE WERE ABLE TO TURN THE AUTOPILOT ON. THE FO/PF NOW HAS THE RADIOS AS WELL. AS I WAS TRYING TO CLOSE AND LOCK IT; WE NOTICED THAT THE SMALL LATCHING MECHANISM ON THE SIDE OF THE DOOR WHICH ACTIVATES THE LOCKED LIGHT BUTTON; ON THE PEDESTAL; WAS NOT WANTING IN GIVING US A PROPER INDICATION AND LOCK THE DOOR. IT WAS NOT FULLY INSIDE. I HAD TO MANUALLY FLUSH THAT MECHANISM AND PULL HARD INWARD TO ELECTRONICALLY LOCK IT. IT TOOK A FEW ATTEMPTS BUT WAS SUCCESSFUL IN THE END. LATER ON; I SPOKE TO THE FA'S AND INFORMED THEM OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE INADVERTENT DISARMING OF THE DOOR ELECTRONICALLY HAS HAPPENED TO ME IN SEVERAL OCCASIONS BEFORE DURING TURBULENT CONDITIONS SPECIFICALLY ON THE E175. IT ONLY GAVE US A BLINKING INDICATION TIME TO TIME IN FLIGHT WHEN IT WAS CLOSE TO CONTINUOUS TO OCCASIONAL MODERATE TURBULENCE. BUT; WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH IT AS WE SCAN AROUND THE COCKPIT. SO THERE WAS NOT INADVERTENT OPENING OF THE DOOR. ON THIS SITUATION WITH MY HAND ON THE TL'S; I WASN'T REALLY ABLE TO SEE THE INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE PEDESTAL. I BELIEVE WHEN THE CRJ POWERED UP THIS LOOSENED THE LATCHING MECHANISM ON THE DOOR THAT BARELY KEEPING IT LOCKED AS INDICATED ON THE PEDESTAL AS WELL AS WHEN WE POWERED UP FOR TAKEOFF. WHEN WE WERE ROLLING DOWN THE UNEVEN RWY; THAT'S WHEN THE DOOR MECHANISM GAVE IN AND OPENED THE DOOR. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE WE COULD HAVE PREVENTED ON THIS OR CHECKED AND DOUBLE CHECKED. AS I AM AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE E175; I TEND TO BE MORE CAUTIOUS EVERY TIME.

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.