DURING A B727 FLC'S DSCNT INTO RIC; A LNDG GEAR DOOR PANEL BROKE AWAY FROM THE ACFT. THE ACFT LURCHED AND A FLT ATTENDANT RPTED HEARING A LOUD NOISE AT ROW 25. THE FLC NOTIFIED ATC AND PERFORMED A FLY-BY TO GET THE TWR CTLR'S INPUT. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND THE LNDG GEAR WAS PINNED AFTER LNDG; WHILE THE ACFT WAS STILL ON THE RWY.

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WHILE OPERATING A FLT FROM ATL TO RIC ALONG J14 SW OF RIC 57 DME; 15800 FT AND 360 KIAS; ACFT GAVE A SMALL LURCH ACCOMPANIED BY MINOR YAW VARIATION WITH NO ASSOCIATED TURB. IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER; FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE FLT DECK AND RPTED A LOUD NOISE AT MIDSHIP ROW 25. WE IMMEDIATELY SLOWED THE ACFT TO 250 KIAS AND NOTED GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION IN THE EVENT WE HAD SHED PARTS. SHORTLY AFTERWARD; WE INFORMED APCH CTL WE WOULD ACCOMPLISH A FLY-BY WITH RIC TWR TO NOTE ANY ACFT DAMAGE. CONCURRENTLY; HAD THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT COME TO FLT DECK. INSTRUCTED HER TO REVIEW EMER PROCS WITH HER CREW WITH POSSIBILITY OF EMER LNDG AND EGRESS. ALSO ADVISED HER TO NOT ADVISE PAX UNTIL WE DETERMINED THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. ACCOMPLISHED FLY-BY ALONG RWY 2 CTRLINE AT RIC. TWR ADVISED POSSIBLE MISSING PANELS AND STATED L GEAR DOOR OPEN. AT THAT POINT; AN EMER WAS DECLARED; AND WE PROCEEDED E OF THE FIELD TO ACCOMPLISH OUR NECESSARY ITEMS AND ALLOW THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO COMPLETE THEIR PROCS FOR AN EMER LNDG. FOR THE TWR FLY-BY; WE WERE CONFIGURED GEAR DOWN; FLAPS 25 DEGS; DUE TO UNCERTAINTY OF THE GEAR SYS. TOTAL FUEL FLOW WAS 16500 LBS PER HR WITH 7500 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THROUGHOUT THE SCENARIO; OUR CONCERN FOR OUR LOW FUEL STATE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL FACTOR IN OUR PROCEDURAL AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. DUE TO THAT OVERRIDING CONCERN WITH FUEL; OUR FLT ATTENDANTS WERE INSTRUCTED TO COMPLETE THEIR PROCS WITHIN 5 MINS. TO THE CREDIT OF THIS ENTIRE FLT ATTENDANT CREW; THEY WERE ENTIRELY FINISHED 4 MINS LATER. SUBSEQUENT LNDG; ROLLOUT ON RWY; AND STOP ON THE RWY WERE COMPLETED UNEVENTFULLY. DUE TO OUR UNCERTAINTY REGARDING THE INTEGRITY OF THE GEAR; THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SHUT DOWN ON THE RWY; PIN THE LNDG GEAR; ACCOMPLISH MAINT INSPECTION; AND TOW THE ACFT TO THE GATE. THE PAX WERE INSTRUCTED TO REMAIN SEATED TO PREVENT SHIFTING CTR OF GRAVITY WITH POTENTIAL GEAR FAILURE. PRIOR TO COMMENCING ACFT TOW WITH MECH ON SCENE; WE HAD TO TRANSFER FUEL TO TANK #2 TO PREVENT APU FLAMEOUT. WE BRIEFED THE PAX AS TO THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING PWR PRIOR TO BEING ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE FUEL TRANSFER. SUBSEQUENT OPS WERE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AGAIN; THE FLT ATTENDANT CREW; RIC EMER SVCS AND ATC PERSONNEL ARE TO BE COMPLIMENTED; ALONG WITH FO AND SO; DURING THIS INCIDENT FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH FLT DECK DOOR LOCKED OPEN DUE TO POTENTIAL OF DOOR BEING WEDGED CLOSED WITH GEAR COLLAPSE. FLC ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTY IN OBTAINING MANAGERIAL PLT APPROVAL (CHIEF PLT) TO CONTINUE ROTATION AFTER DECLARATION OF EMER.