DC8 CARGO FLT HAS CARGO DOOR OPEN AT 4500 FT. EMER DECLARED AND VECTORS RECEIVED TO RETURN LAND.

Narrative

ON JULY 1997; WHILE OPERATING A DC8 AS CARGO FLT FROM TOLEDO EXPRESS ARPT TO ATLANTA HARTSFIELD; THE MAIN CARGO DOOR CAME OPEN INFLT. AFTER PERFORMING ALL NORMAL CHKLISTS; WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF; AND CLBED NORMALLY TO 3000 FT AGL; THE MINIMUM ALT FOR TURNING ENRTE AT TOLEDO. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO ROSEWOOD VOR; ALL CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED; AND AS WE ACCELERATED TO 240-250 KTS; CLBING THROUGH 4500 FT; THE SECOND CABIN TURBO COMPRESSOR WAS TURNED ON. AT THIS POINT; A VERY LOUD BANG WAS HEARD FROM THE CARGO BAY; FOLLOWED BY MODERATE YAWING OF THE ACFT; AND LOUD WIND NOISE. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED THE ACFT TO 210 KTS; (VZF) AND DIRECTED THE FO TO DECLARE AN EMER; AND REQUEST VECTORS TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. THE ACFT WAS QUITE STABLE INFLT; SLIPPING SLIGHTLY TO THE R; HOWEVER ANY BANK MORE THAN ABOUT 3 DEGS CLOSED THE CARGO DOOR TEMPORARILY. THE APCH WAS FLOWN AT NORMAL SPDS AND THE FLT CONCLUDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE CARGO DOOR AND RELATED SYS SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE REST OF THE ACFT WAS NOT DAMAGED.