Originally Posted by
Capn Bug Smasher
Hatches and Harnesses - SECURE (i.e.
locked, Bloggs!)
I once learned a very good lesson from an instructor who asked what I would do if the door opened on takeoff. "Why, continue," I airily replied, having read an accident report wherein the aircraft left the runway as the unfortunate pilot tried to close an errant door
and take off at the same time, "and sort it out in the air, with plenty of height in hand."
Wrong!
My ears are still ringing today from his opinion of what the open door might do to the tailplane structure if it came off in flight
I think your instructor was mindlessly repeating some silly flight school-ism. So what he is saying even if you are just about to lift off on a short field and the cabin door opens your only option is to reject and run off the end because the door might fall off and hit the tail......Really!
I challenge anybody to find a report where a light aircraft cabin door came off in flight and hurt the airplane. Like every other emergency you fly the airplane first. If the door opens early in the takeoff run you stop and get off the runway and fix the door, if it happens later in the takeoff roll without enough runway to come to a comfortable stop; you ....takeoff.
FYI in the high wing Cessna’s, if the passenger door opens, place its handle in the open position if it is not already there then just open yours about an inch. The suction will close the door without you having to reach around the passenger to tug it closed, which will take a fairly good tug. With Pipers however I have not found a way to close an open door in flight. However it is not deal flying around with the door open as it will only hang open a few inches. You will be really cold however, if it happens in winter
Nose baggage doors on twins, however are whole different story. Depending on the type you may be in big trouble with an open nose baggage door, so it is vital they are checked closed and locked on the walk around. My SOP is that the nose baggage door has only 2 states, fully open on the door stay, or closed AND locked. It will never be closed but unlocked.