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:

• Aircraft doors can accidentally open after takeoff due to missed pre-flight checks or worn latches, as experienced by the author on multiple occasions.
• If an aircraft door opens mid-flight, the pilot's primary focus should remain on safely flying and landing the airplane, not attempting to close the door.
• The best practice is to land the aircraft safely and then secure the door once on the ground, with prevention through thorough pre-takeoff checks being the ideal approach.

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