Open-Door Policy

Almost anyone whos flown a passenger has at least one open-door or open-canopy story. Here are two of mine.The plan was for a full day of flying, and we were getting an early start. My right front seat passenger had done this before, so I more or less delegated securing the cabin door to him. We took off, and immediately realized the doors upper latch hadnt engaged. During my pre-takeoff checks, I usually reach up and push against the doors trailing side to ensure the latch was engaged. I didnt this time.

Key Takeaways:

• The article recounts two incidents where an aircraft door opened mid-flight due to an unlatched door or worn equipment.
• In both cases, the pilot prioritized flying the aircraft safely to the ground, treating the open door as a minor issue and only securing it after landing.
• The core advice is to always conduct thorough pre-takeoff checks, but if a door does open in flight, focus on flying the airplane and wait until it's safely on the ground to attempt to close it.

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