It's not the airflow over the wing that pulls it open; it's the airflow coming over the windshield that does it. I was sitting in the right seat of an almost new A36 when the top of the door popped open as we leveled off after departing El Dorado, Arkansas. My instructor and I were taking a charter passenger to Wichita, Kansas. We continued the flight to Wichita and after parking, we discovered that the bolt holding the latch had come out and had fallen to the bottom of the door. I borrowed some tools and removed the door. Since it was pretty cold outside, we took the door into the FBO where I turned the door upside down, shook the parts out, and reinstalled the latch. After reinstalling the door, we headed back to Texarkana. I sure hated breaking the paint on the door hinges, but it had to be fixed.
It’s happened in my V35B at 5500’. First and last time I let my wife close the door, never again; she lost her Phone which was in her right jacket pocket, didn’t realise it was gone until we expedited LDing at nearby airport. We were over metropolitan area and worried about fallout. Considered making a NASA report. Love that this is considered a “right of Passage”
Great video well done. I had mine pop open in cruise at 7500ft over long Island. It was a really bumpy day. Lost a windbreaker and a chart. Landed closed the door and it has not happened again....yet. I always close my door. If there is a Bonanza pilot in the right seat they may close the door but I physically check it myself.
Get in the habit of fastening the seatbelts if the right-hand seat is unoccupied. If the door comes open, the belts can go out and the metal buckles can smash into the side of the plane or the window. Very expensive!
Very well done presentation. I fly a P35 Bonanza (V-tail) and have had two door open events. Totally my fault. One airport at 4000ft and the other at 6000ft and 90 degrees each time. Door pops at about 500 AGL. Climb performance and rudder control severely degrades and need full throttle even then. In right hand turn there is a slow descent but left hand turn okay. Plane very flyable but when high and hot a V-tail is a bit scary. Use left hand turns if able. As Mr Turner says pilot should close the door and verify each time.
I had an upper latch not lock. Weird sound on take-off, otherwise normal. When you hear a weird sound it is distracting. I was VFR, completed the pattern, landed, locked the door, and landed. Really no big deal. Launching into IFR would be different.
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Nicest jacket is somewhere near the airport in DODGE CITY, Kansas.
It's not the airflow over the wing that pulls it open; it's the airflow coming over the windshield that does it. I was sitting in the right seat of an almost new A36 when the top of the door popped open as we leveled off after departing El Dorado, Arkansas. My instructor and I were taking a charter passenger to Wichita, Kansas. We continued the flight to Wichita and after parking, we discovered that the bolt holding the latch had come out and had fallen to the bottom of the door. I borrowed some tools and removed the door. Since it was pretty cold outside, we took the door into the FBO where I turned the door upside down, shook the parts out, and reinstalled the latch. After reinstalling the door, we headed back to Texarkana. I sure hated breaking the paint on the door hinges, but it had to be fixed.
It’s happened in my V35B at 5500’. First and last time I let my wife close the door, never again; she lost her Phone which was in her right jacket pocket, didn’t realise it was gone until we expedited LDing at nearby airport. We were over metropolitan area and worried about fallout. Considered making a NASA report. Love that this is considered a “right of Passage”
Great video well done. I had mine pop open in cruise at 7500ft over long Island. It was a really bumpy day. Lost a windbreaker and a chart. Landed closed the door and it has not happened again....yet. I always close my door. If there is a Bonanza pilot in the right seat they may close the door but I physically check it myself.
I’ve had it happen in a B55. There’s a bit of buffeting when extending flaps, so I elected to do a no flap landing.
Get in the habit of fastening the seatbelts if the right-hand seat is unoccupied. If the door comes open, the belts can go out and the metal buckles can smash into the side of the plane or the window. Very expensive!
Very well done presentation. I fly a P35 Bonanza (V-tail) and have had two door open events. Totally my fault. One airport at 4000ft and the other at 6000ft and 90 degrees each time. Door pops at about 500 AGL. Climb performance and rudder control severely degrades and need full throttle even then. In right hand turn there is a slow descent but left hand turn okay. Plane very flyable but when high and hot a V-tail is a bit scary. Use left hand turns if able. As Mr Turner says pilot should close the door and verify each time.
I had an upper latch not lock. Weird sound on take-off, otherwise normal. When you hear a weird sound it is distracting. I was VFR, completed the pattern, landed, locked the door, and landed. Really no big deal. Launching into IFR would be different.
Funny this comes out,Just had this happen the other Day on roll (takeoff) did aborted take off procedure.
Had happen cause I let a passenger close the door. Never again.