B25 TKOF RWY 15. AT ROTATION ESCAPE HATCH DEPARTED THE ACFT LNDG ON INTXN BOTH RWYS. FIELD WAS CLOSED FOR 45 MINS TO CLEAN UP DEBRIS. ACFT CONTINUED ON ITS PHOTO MISSION.

Narrative

SHORTLY AFTER ROTATION ON TKOF (FROM RWY 15 BUR) THE TAILGUN POS ESCAPE HATCH DEPARTED THE ACFT. THE FLC (PIC AND COPLT) WERE NOTIFIED OF THIS BY INTERCOM; JUST AFTER WE WERE HANDED OFF TO DEP CTL. DEP CTL ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE TWR 'THOUGHT' SOME MATERIAL HAD COME OUT OF OUR ACFT. NO ACTION WAS REQUIRED OR REQUESTED; SO WE CONTINUED ON OUR PHOTO MISSION. AFTER A 1 HR PHOTO MISSION WE LANDED AT ANOTHER ARPT FOR RECOVERY AND NEW MISSION. AT THIS TIME WE WERE TOLD THAT BUR ARPT HAD TO CLOSE DOWN FOR 3/4 HR TO SWEEP BOTH RWYS SINCE OUR PLEXIGLAS IMPACTED AND SHATTERED AT THE INTXN OF THE RWYS. WE CALLED BUR ON LAND-LINE AND APOLOGIZED. AT SECOND ARPT WE REPLACED HATCH AND RTB WITH NO FURTHER PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 368315: POSSIBLE THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. IT MAY ALSO BE THAT THE HATCH; WHICH WAS PROBABLY OVER 50 YRS OLD; HAD UNDISCOVERED FLAWS. THOUGH NOT A NORMAL PREFLT ITEM; PLTS OF OLDER ACFT MIGHT BE WELL ADVISED TO CHK THE SECURITY OF WINDOWS; DOORS AND HATCHES; AND OTHER PARTS THAT MIGHT EITHER BECOME AGE WEAKENED OR ARE SUBJECT TO IMPROPER INSTALLATION.