A C172 PLT FAILS TO SECURELY CLOSE THE CARGO DOOR RESULTING IN THE TOWBAR FALLING OUT INFLT WHILE DOING TOUCH AND GOES AT AKR; OH.

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I HAD TAKEN OFF FROM AKR AND DONE 3 FLTS IN THE TFC PATTERN TO MAINTAIN MY NIGHT CURRENCY. HAD DONE A THOROUGH PREFLT. HOWEVER; THERE WAS POSSIBLE WX MOVING IN FROM THE W; AND I WANTED TO COMPLETE MY FLYING BEFORE THE ARPT WAS SOCKED IN. UNFORTUNATELY; IN MY HASTE; I DIDN'T SECURE THE TOWBAR PROPERLY IN THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT. WHEN TAKING OFF ON MY SECOND TKOF OF THREE; I HEARD A FAINT THUD IN THE BACK; AND THOUGHT THE OUTSIDE NOISE WAS LOUDER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. AFTER LNDG; I STOPPED ON THE TXWY; LOOKED BACK IN THE ACFT; AND ALSO OPENED THE DOOR AND LEANED OUT TO SEE IF I COULD SPOT ANYTHING. IN THE EVENING LIGHT; I SAW NOTHING; AND THE BAGGAGE DOOR APPEARED TO BE CLOSED. I COMPLETED MY FINAL CIRCUIT AND PARKED THE ACFT. WHEN I GOT READY TO PUT THE ACFT IN ITS HANGAR; I THEN NOTICED THE BAGGAGE DOOR LATCH WASN'T FULLY CLOSED; ALTHOUGH THE DOOR ITSELF APPEARED TO BE. WHEN I LOOKED FOR THE TOWBAR; IT WAS MISSING. A FRANTIC SEARCH OF THE TXWYS AND RWY TURNED UP NOTHING. SINCE THE ARPT OPS OFFICE WAS CLOSED; I LEFT A NOTE AT THE GATE INDICATING THAT I WAS MISSING A TOWBAR; WITH MY CELL NUMBER. FORTUNATELY; ARPT PERSONNEL FOUND THE TOWBAR THE NEXT DAY; IN A FIELD AREA NEXT TO THE RWY; SLIGHTLY DAMAGED BUT STILL USABLE. FROM THIS EXPERIENCE; I HAVE LEARNED TO MORE SECURELY HOUSE THE TOWBAR IN THE ACFT; OR LEAVE IT IN THE HANGAR FOR LCL FLTS; AND TO NOT GET SO RUSHED IN MY PREPARATIONS.