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Priorities
As in all abnormal situations and emergencies,
your priority of actions with an open
door on takeoff is to:
1 Maintain aircraft control.
n
2 Analyze the situation with as much
information as you can quickly gather.
3 Continue to control the aircraft.
n
4 Take the appropriate action.
So what’s “appropriate” with the door open during or just
after takeoff? First, if you’re still on the ground and there
is sufficient runway remaining, abort the takeoff. Reduce
power to idle, brake as needed, and maintain directional
control. Come to a stop, then secure the door.
If you’re just lifting off or airborne, it’s far safer to fly a
normal pattern, land, and then secure the door. Expect
a climb performance loss of about 200 feet per minute, and
the need for a little extra power for level flight, descent,
and flare because of the added drag. You may also notice
some elevator buffet, particularly in the flare. But besides a
slightly reduced climb rate, the need for a little extra power
and the possibility of some buffeting, your Beechcraft flies
normally with the forward cabin door open.
Why is a door opening on takeoff a problem? It’s startling,
and it’s loud. Your passengers may be scared, and may even
panic. If you have charts, flight logs, or other items
on the copilot seat, the suction will pull them
right out the door. It can get bitterly cold very
rapidly in cool weather with the cabin door open.
The wind may hit a right-seat passenger
directly in the face. Have him or her lean forward
or in toward the pilot to avoid the slipstream.
It may be very difficult to hear over the radio,
especially if there’s a headset plugged into the
copilot side, picking up wind noise. Use your audio panel’s
pilot isolation switch, or reach over and pull your copilot’s
microphone plug out of the jack if you need to reduce
headset noise.
In all cases, remember your first priority: maintain control
of the airplane. On final approach, triple-check that the
landing gear is down. The distraction of an open door has
led to many gear-up landings.
Securing the Door
How do you prevent the door-open-on-takeoff scenario
in the first place? Carefully close and latch the door. As you
rotate the door handle counterclockwise you’ll hear two
clicks. The second click is louder, and signifies that the
door latch is fully rotated into the closed position. You’ll
feel resistance as you rotate the handle, but little resistance
Volume 13 • Number 1 AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY 19