Cessna 172 aborts takeoff at DSM: audio + cockpit video

[mikenftsmith]

Glad you're not at my field.

I knew we'd find something to agree on!

My reason is because you're obviously a dangerous pilot.  What's your reason?  I'm mean?

Blah blah blah blah

So basically, excuses excuses excuses.  That's what I thought.

And for what its worth, I've had this exact thing happen to me twice, once in a 152 and once in a PA28-161.  And in both situations fiddling with it, taking my eyes away from the windows, and deciding how to handle it was not even a blip on the radar.  I said damn it and continued what I was doing.  The 152 I shut the door once I was in stable flight.  The PA28 required a return to landing since I couldn't get it latched in the air.

There are two choices and only two choices.  Stop and fix it, or fix it in the air.  What you did was dumb.  And putting it on the internet was even dumber.  And showing it off going "look at me!" is the dumbest move of the whole thing.

Any more excuses?

I guess checking your doors was not on your pre flight checklist the two times your doors were not closed?

[NoMad]

I guess checking your doors was not on your pre flight checklist the two times your doors were not closed?

You guess wrong.  It is.  And I did.  This happens to everyone on small GA aircraft at some point.  90% of the time the doors latch fine when you close them.  But once in a while they don't latch and you can't tell until vibration or air pressure pops it open.  The situation has nothing to do with forgetting to close the door (usually).