Baggage door opens on departure

[bonal]

Yesterday as we're leaving for home the baggage door came open on departure (see today's flight) for details. Brought it over to Lake Aero Styling today so they could asses the damage and it was decided the right thing to do was to remove it and re skin the door. Robert explained that these doors although similar are basically unique to the airplane and fitting a used one would likely be more work. The good news is the hinge was only damaged on the door side not on the airframe so we drove out the pin and took the door in for repair. By the time I left after visiting with a couple of the mechanics Eric who is new there had the old skin off the frame and was already preparing to cut the new metal to be attached to the original frame. With luck it will be a day or two and we will put it back on Snoopy. This door had previous damage as there was a slight crease below the hinge from before our purchase. When it's done it will be ready for paint and should look better than new to me. 

Things are really busy at LASAR but they went to work on our plane within an hour of my stopping by.  So right now we have a convertible Mooney with the top down.

[MIm20c]

Sounds to me like Laser is continuing to be a top notch MSC!  I like mechanics who dig right in ready to get the job done. 

[Hank]

@bonal, that "crease below the hinge" was from the door popping open once in the past . . . Congrats on making a quick repair!

[MyNameIsNobody]

On 12/12/2017 at 5:25 PM, bonal said:

Yesterday as we're leaving for home the baggage door came open on departure (see today's flight) for details. Brought it over to Lake Aero Styling today so they could asses the damage and it was decided the right thing to do was to remove it and re skin the door. Robert explained that these doors although similar are basically unique to the airplane and fitting a used one would likely be more work. The good news is the hinge was only damaged on the door side not on the airframe so we drove out the pin and took the door in for repair. By the time I left after visiting with a couple of the mechanics Eric who is new there had the old skin off the frame and was already preparing to cut the new metal to be attached to the original frame. With luck it will be a day or two and we will put it back on Snoopy. This door had previous damage as there was a slight crease below the hinge from before our purchase. When it's done it will be ready for paint and should look better than new to me. 

Things are really busy at LASAR but they went to work on our plane within an hour of my stopping by.  So right now we have a convertible Mooney with the top down.

I like thrillers with happy endings...Now going to Today’s Flight for the why and mea culpa...?!

 

[kerry]

It happened to me once.  I forgot to shut the latch.  I aborted the landing and luckily no damage occurred.  My interior panel came off and I located it on the runway.  I was able to pop it right back on the baggage door.  I now lock my baggage door as part of my preflight.

[nels]

I leave my keys in the luggage door while I preflight the plane. Last thing I do is shut that door, lock it and get in.

Edited December 14, 2017 by nels

[Rmag]

I actually took off once with the baggage door in the upright position.  It was a chain of events were my key fell out of my pocket and went into a seat track.  I couldn’t find my key and left the cockpit, opened baggage and was looking for it.  I eventually found it and since I was in my pilots seat, started up and taxied for takeoff.

Started my takeoff roll, rotated, and I got a call from the FBO that m door was open.  I never heard the wind noise with my noise cancelling headset.

I kept the plane at 75-80 kts, kept the gear down, flew a low pattern and landed.  Checked the door and all was well.

Now I always look over my shoulder before takeoff.

[Jim Peace]

41 minutes ago, nels said:

 Last thing I do is shut that door, lock it and get in.

I can't tell you how many times I could not remember if I actually locked the door (on small planes) and gotten out at the runup area to recheck.  I could never feel comfortable knowing it may or may not be locked.  I am thankful there are lights on the Boenigs as well as a mx crew to check prior to push.......

 

[ArtVandelay]

I can't tell you how many times I could not remember if I actually locked the door (on small planes) and gotten out at the runup area to recheck.  I could never feel comfortable knowing it may or may not be locked.  I am thankful there are lights on the Boenigs as well as a mx crew to check prior to push.......
 

Sounds like an item to add to the checklist.
I have that, I also added a 1st item to my hot start procedure, “fuel receipt”, never forget the baggage door and now I don’t leave the fuel receipt either. If I forget an item after adding it to the checklist, I change the font to bold, example is turning off the boost pump.

[Bart Chilcott]

I have it as part of my check list.  I use an iPhone app checklist.  When I touch an item on the list, it marks it complete.  I actually have the baggage door at the beginning of my preflight and as the very last item.  

[Browncbr1]

I leave the door open and key in it, so I can’t start the plane without first locking the door and removing the key.   It has been a fool proof proceedure for me so far, fingers crossed!

[RLCarter]

@Whiskey Charlie what app are you using?

[Bart Chilcott]

12 minutes ago, RLCarter said:

@Whiskey Charlie what app are you using?

I’m using the ForeFlight Check List.  You can completely customize it for different aircraft.  It allows you to store checklists for multiple aircraft by their N number.  You can also share your checklist.  What I like about it is it shows me if I failed to check anything off and will immediately go to the unchecked item when I complete the list. 

[cctsurf]

I have not made it a practice to lock the luggage door for flight, is there a mechanical reason that the door is less likely to pop open if it is locked? What about egress in a crash? 

As part of my checklist, I reach back and push lightly on the door to know that it is latched. I'm guessing that would be more difficult on a longer fuselage. 

[Ned Gravel]

I do not lock the baggage door and I have never had it open on me by itself.  This past annual I installed a pull ring to open it from the inside, should emergency egress through that opening ever be required.  That would not work if the door was locked with the key.

[Browncbr1]

36 minutes ago, cctsurf said:

I have not made it a practice to lock the luggage door for flight, is there a mechanical reason that the door is less likely to pop open if it is locked? What about egress in a crash? 

As part of my checklist, I reach back and push lightly on the door to know that it is latched. I'm guessing that would be more difficult on a longer fuselage. 

I dont' have any way to open the door from the inside if that were to happen.  If there were a positive detent, I probably wouldn't lock it.  The fact that there is no detent makes me wonder if it could ever be possible to vibrate loose.  I really doubt it, but locking it keeps me from thinking about that.  In the event of an off field landing, opening the cabin door in the air is on my hit list.  There is no way to reach the door from the pilot seat on a mid body.  I do push the top of the main cabin door to verify the top mechanism has latched securely just after closing it.

[jasona900]

9 hours ago, Jim Peace said:

I can't tell you how many times I could not remember if I actually locked the door (on small planes) and gotten out at the runup area to recheck.  I could never feel comfortable knowing it may or may not be locked.  I am thankful there are lights on the Boenigs as well as a mx crew to check prior to push.......

 

I always check the door before I enter, and then again after runup.  I once saw a Mooney takeoff at a flyin, and noticed his baggage door was open.  Fortunately, he brought it around, closed it, and took off again, so I assume the damage was negligible.  I like the idea of a light though... Something as simple as a battery powered microswitch connected to a LED would do the trick.  Hmm.......

[Bart Chilcott]

Yes, actually a panel light is a great idea! 

[Mooneymite]

2 hours ago, jasona900 said:

.... I like the idea of a light though... Something as simple as a battery powered microswitch connected to a LED would do the trick.  Hmm.......

Are there different baggage door latches evolved through the years?? 

When I read some descriptions, they don't match mine at all.

My baggage door brings on an interior light, so the light being on is a give-away, as long as I take the time to look.  I presume it would be simple for the hangar elves to mount a panel indicator off of the baggage door light switch.  The FAA would probably have a cow if they saw such a safety device without a 337, PMA, STC and presidential pardon.

[jasona900]

1 hour ago, Mooneymite said:

Are there different baggage door latches evolved through the years?? 

When I read some descriptions, they don't match mine at all.

My baggage door brings on an interior light, so the light being on is a give-away, as long as I take the time to look.  I presume it would be simple for the hangar elves to mount a panel indicator off of the baggage door light switch.  The FAA would probably have a cow if they saw such a safety device without a 337, PMA, STC and presidential pardon.

My door isn't connected to an interior light on my '78 J.  Or if it is, the connection is faulty.

[Hank]

1 hour ago, Mooneymite said:

Are there different baggage door latches evolved through the years?? 

When I read some descriptions, they don't match mine at all.

My baggage door brings on an interior light, so the light being on is a give-away, as long as I take the time to look.  I presume it would be simple for the hangar elves to mount a panel indicator off of the baggage door light switch.  The FAA would probably have a cow if they saw such a safety device without a 337, PMA, STC and presidential pardon.

My plane has nothing like that, and it's the same as yours except 4 years older. The baggage latch outside is a sideways lever--down towards the rear latches it closed.

Since I move the plane with the towbar, I have to put it inside the baggage area before departure. When loading baggage, it goes in last unless I'm staying, in which case the bagged fuselage cover goes on top of it. All loaded, towbar inside, close and latch the door. That said, mine came open once on an IFR training flight, the CFII and I both missed it . . . Stuff happens, we are human.

P.S.--my 1970 C model has no interior light for the baggage door to hook up to, I only have Nulites [added by me and by the previous owner] and the red torpedo lights in the overhead that aim at the panel.

Edited December 14, 2017 by Hank

[MyNameIsNobody]

I never close the baggage door without latching it.  This has served me well so far.  Results in numerous opening and closing...Oh, well.

[MyNameIsNobody]

I never board with baggage door open.

[cctsurf]

10 minutes ago, MyNameIsNobody said:

I never close the baggage door without latching it.  This has served me well so far.  Results in numerous opening and closing...Oh, well.

I leave mine unlatched until I personally get into the airplane.  It is my understanding that latching and unlatching wears the latching system and makes an unexpected unlatching a greater danger.  Once I get into the plane, nobody else is going to be putting things into the luggage compartment anyway.

[bonal]

I'm always very careful about closing and locking the door but things never happen until the first time they happen right. I don't know why I missed it this time other than standing around for the extra time to observe the wind patterns after doing the pre flight certainly no excuse but it was not my normal flow and I just missed it. Going to call LASAR to see if it's ready to go back on the airplane.