Incident Sequence
During flight, the right front door of the aircraft suddenly opened after the pilot encountered light turbulence. The pilot followed the procedure prescribed in the owner's manual to secure and close the door. As a precaution, he canceled the remainder of the flight and returned to the airport to land.
Just before turning from downwind to base leg, the door suddenly opened again. The pilot elected to continue the approach without reclosing the door. The door began to buffet, and the pilot used left rudder to compensate for yaw and drag.
Landing and Accident
While landing, the aircraft touched down hard and bounced. The pilot applied power to correct the situation. The plane responded in a severe nose-high attitude while simultaneously banking sharply to the left. The aircraft crashed to the left of the runway.
Occupant Egress and Fire
As the occupants egressed from the plane, it began to burn and was destroyed.