Shock! Horror! Door pops open!

"Kyler Laird" wrote in message
I've not had the door pop open when I've been flying
alone. It'd be interesting.

How would it differ?

Anyone want to talk about the piece of piano wire that actuates the
Aztec's door pins?

The main hinges use a .375" rod. Common causes of doors opening in flight
are from letting the passenger close them.

D.

"Capt.Doug" writes:

"Kyler Laird" wrote in message
I've not had the door pop open when I've been flying
alone. It'd be interesting.

How would it differ?

Not having someone to hold it steady would leave it to flop freely.
The flopping seems to be what causes the plane to waggle. (I'm
tempted to try it in a controlled situation with someone other than
my wife sitting by the door.)

Anyone want to talk about the piece of piano wire that actuates the
Aztec's door pins?

The main hinges use a .375" rod. Common causes of doors opening in flight
are from letting the passenger close them.

Yup, but I've had the wire break and watching Lake Michigan through the
resulting gap was a little disconcerting.

--kyler

In article , "Bob Gardner" wrote:
If the door of an Aztec pops open, it will only open about 4-6 inches and
will kind of oscillate back and forth between those extremes. Causes some
tail feather buffeting. Anyone trying to pull the door shut is fighting air
pressure and wasting his or her time.

Bob Gardner

Just curious, could you do a slip to get the door closed? On my plane, I take
the doors off and fly. Who needs doors?
tom

Ok, It coulda been serious...

Once upon a time near Portland Oregon, a Baron in IMC was approaching
the airport from the south with an intrepid aviator flying from the left,
and doing the Jeppsen Revisions on the right seat. Vectors followed, and
when combined with a descent and some turbulence, Pop, the door sprang open
about an inch.

The picture I saw was from the ground with this Baron coming out of the
overcast at high speed in a left bank to base, with a white dotted line
behind him leading up into the overcast. Those pages were about a foot apart
all the way to the runway.
Al



wrote in message
...
In article , "Bob Gardner"
wrote:
If the door of an Aztec pops open, it will only open about 4-6 inches and
will kind of oscillate back and forth between those extremes. Causes some
tail feather buffeting. Anyone trying to pull the door shut is fighting
air
pressure and wasting his or her time.

Bob Gardner

Just curious, could you do a slip to get the door closed? On my plane, I
take
the doors off and fly. Who needs doors?
tom

Hi Bob;

Don't know about the Aztec as I've never had one come open on me, but I've
had the door open on me in a 140 Cherokee and closed it in flight with no
"panic" issues. Also once in a Cessna 336.
There is a pressure problem, but if you just grab the door without pushing
it and yank it closed with a single direction pull it should close ok.
Opening the canopy vents did help if I remember.
Dudley

"Bob Gardner" wrote in message
...
If the door of an Aztec pops open, it will only open about 4-6 inches and
will kind of oscillate back and forth between those extremes. Causes some
tail feather buffeting. Anyone trying to pull the door shut is fighting
air pressure and wasting his or her time.

Bob Gardner

"Mike Granby" wrote in message
ups.com...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4439341.stm

"Bob Gardner" writes:

If the door of an Aztec pops open, it will only open about 4-6 inches and
will kind of oscillate back and forth between those extremes. Causes some
tail feather buffeting.

Indeed it does! It's been substantial the two times it's happened to me.
It was not at all enjoyable.

Anyone trying to pull the door shut is fighting air
pressure and wasting his or her time.

I pulled a Warrior door closed (on one of my early training solo flights -
oops!) but I suspect that closing the Aztec door is a lost cause also.

--kyler

"Mike Granby" wrote in message
ups.com...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4439341.stm

I cover door opening as part of my standard pre-flight
briefing for new passengers. Perhaps this would have
prevented the unnecessary panic which occurred here.

Mike Granby wrote:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4439341.stm

And the headline from the Daily Mail link on that site is "New Zealand PM cheats
death in air drama - 4 hrs ago" -- all because the door on an Aztec popped open
in flight? Give me a break!

George Patterson
There's plenty of room for all of God's creatures. Right next to the
mashed potatoes.

I am in agreement with George here. What's the big piece of news?

It's an upressurized plane. Granted it's a bad surprise when your maps and
loose pieces of paper get sucked out of the now open door ... but how can
anyone get hurt if they are strapped to their seats?

My door popped open twice in the year and something i have been owning my
piper cherokee and it was a "Oh great ... now I gotta land" moment ...
hardly worthy of notice. The plane was flying fine and the door was
oscillating a bit at 110 knots but nothing happened to the plane other than
the noise and increased wind. It was just annoying ..

If your door pops open you land, you close it, you take off again ...

I really don't get it. What's the biggie?

I don't want to seem to be insensitive to it or something but honestly this
sounds to me like another very minor news piece over-dramatazied by
attentioned-starved media.

Just my 2c

--
Marco Rispoli - NJ, USA / PP-ASEL
My on-line aviation community - http://www.thepilotlounge.com

"George Patterson" wrote in message
news:3oc7e.19394$1p4.12250@trndny06...
Mike Granby wrote:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4439341.stm

And the headline from the Daily Mail link on that site is "New Zealand PM
cheats
death in air drama - 4 hrs ago" -- all because the door on an Aztec popped
open
in flight? Give me a break!

George Patterson
There's plenty of room for all of God's creatures. Right next to the
mashed potatoes.

I don't want to seem to be insensitive to it or something but
honestly this sounds to me like another very minor news
piece over-dramatazied by attentioned-starved media.

Well, quite. That was the point I was making........