Amateur/Home Built/Experimental
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Distraction; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Troubleshooting; Workload; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
During an otherwise ordinary approach procedure; portions of both doors departed the aircraft. Due to the orientation of the door fragment on my side; my headset departed my head. The pilot in the right seat attempted to return them to my head but I could not hear over the wind noise and shortly thereafter they departed my head again. I was also unable to communicate with the pilot in the right seat due to the noise generated by the remaining fragment of the door.  Although the aircraft can be flown without doors I was unsure the impact of the partial door on flight characteristics and with the inability to maintain communication; I decided to land on the nearest suitable runway surface. I felt the right seat pilot tugging at the controls and interpreted his tugs to cancel my approach and enter left traffic for runway XX; which I then did and performed a short approach.
The Reporter stated that the flight conditions prior to the event were high enroute headwinds and a very warm temperature. He stated he is not an aerodynamic expert but strongly suspects that negative pressure on the door pulled the door away from the airframe. Because it latches only the door bottom; the conditions created enough outward movement and stress that one of the two doors opened; followed immediately by the opposite door opening. The events were nearly simultaneous so he could not tell which door latch failed first. The left door detached partially; the right door separated completely. The Reporter is working on an additional latch for the door fronts with the goal of keeping the doors next to the airframe and counter the negative pressure. Because this aircraft is a homebuilt experimental; no FAA certification is needed.
Both Zenith CH750 doors departed the aircraft while the aircraft was on a VFR downwind.