Taking off from a grass strip.... and my door opens!!

[Oscar Avalle]

After spending some time with friends at the beach it was time to fly back... 

Not the nicest field to take off. Very bumpy... full power, gages in the green and then POP! The door opens... what do you do? basicall fly the airplane.

 

[EricJ]

5 minutes ago, Oscar Avalle said:

After spending some time with friends at the beach it was time to fly back... 

Not the nicest field to take off. Very bumpy... full power, gages in the green and then POP! The door opens... what do you do? basicall fly the airplane.

 

Nicely done!   Were you able to get it closed in flight or did you land and close it?

[Oscar Avalle]

12 minutes ago, EricJ said:

Nicely done!   Were you able to get it closed in flight or did you land and close it?

I tried briefly, but as I was by myself i though the best thing to do would be to just fly the plane and land. Deal with it on the ground.

[Shadrach]

1 hour ago, Oscar Avalle said:

I tried briefly, but as I was by myself i though the best thing to do would be to just fly the plane and land. Deal with it on the ground.

This happened to me several years ago but later in the climb. I leveled, throttled back and trimmed for 80kts. I opened the pilots side window because I read somewhere that would help. I used the normal two handed approach to close the door. It was surprisingly easy to close and latch on the first try. Not sure if opening the window helped. All in all it delayed my climb by about 3 mins. Any one that says you can’t close a door in flight has likely never tried.

[Oscar Avalle]

This happened to me several years ago but later in the climb. I leveled, throttled back and trimmed for 80kts. I opened the pilots side window because I read somewhere that would help. I used the normal two handed approach to close the door. It was surprisingly easy to close and latch on the first try. Not sure if opening the window helped. All in all it delayed my climb by about 3 mins. Any one that says you can’t close a door in flight has likely never tried.

Yes, I had heard it too. I have to admit that between the climb and turbulence I did not feel comfortable doing it by myself. I also heard that it helps putting the plane into a slip with the window open. Next time I will try.


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[A64Pilot]

On 12/12/2022 at 2:48 PM, Shadrach said:

Any one that says you can’t close a door in flight has likely never tried.

It’s opening one enough so you can get out that’s very difficult  

There are a few aircraft that the door or canopy in a RV’s case that has a tip up canopy, if it opens can cause enough aerodynamic problems continued flight isn’t possible.

RV’s lawn dart, that is they dive into the ground, one report I read had the dive was so strong both pilots headsets were pulled off and exited the aircraft before impact. found it.

https://generalaviationnews.com/2016/06/17/rv-6-canopy-opens-in-flight-with-fatal-consequences/

I had to fly the crop duster with the baggage compt door open, I thought it would get ripped off but it was fine, FAA required it, I guess because there are some aircraft that can’t, so now they check.

I’m really impressed with the enormously overbuilt hinge on a Mooney door, older Cessna’s have had a door separate from the aircraft when one, usually the top hinge breaks. The newer ones with the cool gull wing door don’t fare well if the door opens.

https://generalaviationnews.com/2022/12/06/diamonds-door-flies-off-plane-in-flight/

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/32818-cessna-door-falls-off-lands-in-parking-lot

I think maybe opening the window comes from Cessna’s, their window swings open and makes it so you can pull on the door itself to get it closed, pulling on the strap is likely to leave a strap in your hand.

I’m going back almost 50 years but I think my Father’s C model door would open every now and again and it wasn’t a big deal to close it.

Did it have a separate mechanism at the top of the door to latch it?

I close the door, I don’t let the passenger do it, largely because I know when it’s not quite right and you’re pushing too hard on the lever. 210 had a similar mechanism and the plant owner forced it stripping the teeth out of the door handle, I’m going to try to not let that happen on my Mooney. So far no door I’ve closed has come open.

[1001001]

2 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

It’s opening one enough so you can get out that’s very difficult  

There are a few aircraft that the door or canopy in a RV’s case that has a tip up canopy, if it opens can cause enough aerodynamic problems continued flight isn’t possible.

RV’s lawn dart, that is they dive into the ground, one report I read had the dive was so strong both pilots headsets were pulled off and exited the aircraft before impact. found it.

https://generalaviationnews.com/2016/06/17/rv-6-canopy-opens-in-flight-with-fatal-consequences/

 

I don't think the comments here about the RV tip-up canopies are correct.  Multiple RV pilots report that in flight the canopy, if opened, will "float" about 6" to 8" open, with benign flying characteristics.  https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=29202&highlight=tipup+canopy+open+flight

 

Edited to add:  On the other hand, there is one RV-6 owner that has reported a strong pitch-down moment when the canopy is opened in flight.  Perhaps this behavior is specific to the RV-6, but it is by no means universal to the RV types.  https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=191312&highlight=rv-6+canopy+open

Edited December 15, 2022 by 1001001

[Shadrach]

4 hours ago, A64Pilot said:

It’s opening one enough so you can get out that’s very difficult  

There are a few aircraft that the door or canopy in a RV’s case that has a tip up canopy, if it opens can cause enough aerodynamic problems continued flight isn’t possible.

RV’s lawn dart, that is they dive into the ground, one report I read had the dive was so strong both pilots headsets were pulled off and exited the aircraft before impact. found it.

https://generalaviationnews.com/2016/06/17/rv-6-canopy-opens-in-flight-with-fatal-consequences/

I had to fly the crop duster with the baggage compt door open, I thought it would get ripped off but it was fine, FAA required it, I guess because there are some aircraft that can’t, so now they check.

I’m really impressed with the enormously overbuilt hinge on a Mooney door, older Cessna’s have had a door separate from the aircraft when one, usually the top hinge breaks. The newer ones with the cool gull wing door don’t fare well if the door opens.

https://generalaviationnews.com/2022/12/06/diamonds-door-flies-off-plane-in-flight/

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/32818-cessna-door-falls-off-lands-in-parking-lot

I think maybe opening the window comes from Cessna’s, their window swings open and makes it so you can pull on the door itself to get it closed, pulling on the strap is likely to leave a strap in your hand.

I’m going back almost 50 years but I think my Father’s C model door would open every now and again and it wasn’t a big deal to close it.

Did it have a separate mechanism at the top of the door to latch it?

I close the door, I don’t let the passenger do it, largely because I know when it’s not quite right and you’re pushing too hard on the lever. 210 had a similar mechanism and the plant owner forced it stripping the teeth out of the door handle, I’m going to try to not let that happen on my Mooney. So far no door I’ve closed has come open.

No separate latch (at least from factory) on any of the birds AFAIK. I’ve never tried to open the door in flight wide enough to get out but had a few passengers in my college years that I wanted to ask. 

[201er]

On 12/12/2022 at 12:37 PM, Oscar Avalle said:

After spending some time with friends at the beach it was time to fly back... 

Not the nicest field to take off. Very bumpy... full power, gages in the green and then POP! The door opens... what do you do? basicall fly the airplane.

Do you think the bumpiness of taking off on grass caused it to pop? Or was it a situation that would have happened anywhere (like you didn't close it properly)?

[Oscar Avalle]

Do you think the bumpiness of taking off on grass caused it to pop? Or was it a situation that would have happened anywhere (like you didn't close it properly)?

I believe that it was the bumpiness amplified by the fact that I did not have a spring in the door mechanism holding the door closed.





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[Raymond J1]

On 12/12/2022 at 6:37 PM, Oscar Avalle said:

After spending some time with friends at the beach it was time to fly back... 

Not the nicest field to take off. Very bumpy... full power, gages in the green and then POP! The door opens... what do you do? basicall fly the airplane.

 

This is an interesting video, it shows the mistakes that we all make out of habit... For example, remember to close the small left window at the last moment and after the power is turned on and forget to check the door lever which is not in the forward position (locked). Thank you for this feedback.

[201er]

How much fuel/weight were you carrying? 

[Oscar Avalle]

14 hours ago, 201er said:

How much fuel/weight were you carrying? 

About 50 gallons and one person on board.

[Yetti]

When you land on Grass the Dynon shows the Runway as green.....   Little things amuse me.