Another Plane Crash...This time in Lancaster PA

It’s a Bonanza so could be that rearward opening part of the pax cabin hatch. I’ve often thought that if that opened, it would create an enormous amount of drag.
 
EIR said:
A lot considering the door is in forward of the wing and engine.
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I stand corrected. The picture looked like a latitude or longitude. Indeed it looks like a 36 tail.

On the 36 the rear barn door latches into to the empennage . The forward barn down latches into the rear door.
 
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Know some people near there that said it went down nearby a retirement home. So far the word is just relief, that this did not go into a building. It was also departing, and returning to field.

I'm unfamiliar with the Bonanza beyond the nicknames, but the cabin door looks awful close to an Arrow.
 
Murdoughnut said:
Reports are that they called in with a cabin door open.
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I've flown a Bonanza with the doors off, it is very manageable.

If the cowling is open, that's another beast but doable that'll result in some sheet metal repairs but not a guaranteed fatal event.
 
Popped door in either the short bodied Bonanzas (35/33) or Baron (55,56) is a completely manageable situation. Lots of noise, everything in the front of the cabin that’s loose gets sucked out, but the door trails about 2” open, and that’s it.

DON’T try to shut it. That’s when the problems start.
 
Richman said:
Popped door in either the short bodied Bonanzas (35/33) or Baron (55,56) is a completely manageable situation. Lots of noise, everything in the front of the cabin that’s loose gets sucked out, but the door trails about 2” open, and that’s it.

DON’T try to shut it. That’s when the problems start.
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I learned this through a very practical demonstration as a student pilot. My instructor and I took off in our trusty Warrior one fine morning and suddenly the door opened. We'd done the checklist and checked that the door was secured so I was surprised, he was cool as a cucumber. He didn't even mess with the door, he just said "Keep flying the airplane" so I just flew around the pattern and instead of a touch and go I decided on a full stop. Turned out the upper latch thingamajiggy had given up the ghost and that caused the worn out main latch to decide enough was enough and it failed as well. The airplane was not sporty, it was a lot louder than I was used to but it flew okay. If I'd been solo at that point I'm not sure how that would've turned out but it ended up being a great lesson. Just fly the airplane.
 
Richman said:
Popped door in either the short bodied Bonanzas (35/33) or Baron (55,56) is a completely manageable situation. Lots of noise, everything in the front of the cabin that’s loose gets sucked out, but the door trails about 2” open, and that’s it.

DON’T try to shut it. That’s when the problems start.
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The problem started when they bought the Bonanza
 
knot4u said:
I learned this through a very practical demonstration as a student pilot. My instructor and I took off in our trusty Warrior one fine morning and suddenly the door opened. We'd done the checklist and checked that the door was secured so I was surprised, he was cool as a cucumber. He didn't even mess with the door, he just said "Keep flying the airplane" so I just flew around the pattern and instead of a touch and go I decided on a full stop. Turned out the upper latch thingamajiggy had given up the ghost and that caused the worn out main latch to decide enough was enough and it failed as well. The airplane was not sporty, it was a lot louder than I was used to but it flew okay. If I'd been solo at that point I'm not sure how that would've turned out but it ended up being a great lesson. Just fly the airplane.
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Probably would have focused on the door and not flown the airplane. Knowing stuff like that comes with experience, that a student pilot typically doesn't have.
 
Maximilian_Jenius said:
Probably would have focused on the door and not flown the airplane. Knowing stuff like that comes with experience, that a student pilot typically doesn't have.
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Absolutely, I did not have that experience prior to that event. But I'd been made aware and my instructor (sitting in the right seat next to the door) gave me some very solid advice. If he'd of freaked out I probably would've as well, but he didn't and we just flew one pattern to a full stop. I was buying block time and I ended up getting that lesson for free. Win Win!.
 
I had a B55 Baron with the standard right side pax entry door plus a small rear baggage door. SOP on either opening in flight was to fly the plane, land, secure the door and continue. It was my understanding that closing the entry door in flight might not even be possible, but I never had the occasion to try.
 
Had a door pop open on a loaded Aztec one night. Had the gent in the right seat hold it slightly ajar to help with performance. Informed tower what happened and asked for a stop and go. Stopped, closed the door, and continued our work for the night.
 
Just had a door pop open the other night while headed high speed to a vehicle chase on the interstate. Turns out, at high speed and with the negative AOA pitch angle of the fuselage at high speeds, the relative wind is enough to hit the door handle with such force and at such an angle, to push it down and to the unlatched position, popping the door open. Granted, it only opens about an inch, as the same relative wind keeps it streamlined to the general closed position to where it’s merely ajar. But i didn’t know what stress was being placed on the door hinges as they aren’t normally being pulled laterally. Pulled the bird into a quick climb to bleed speed to about 5 knts to kill the relative wind as I let the nose fall down back towards the horizon, pulled the door closed and latched at the same time, transitioned to an accelerating descent and continued, just keeping things about 10 knots slower than before. Interesting lesson learned.
 
Autothrust Blue said:
I got 99 problems and Beechcraft is one.
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