# Incident 19940715034609I: Aerosp AS355F1, Gulf Of Mexico, LA, July 15, 1994

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 15, 1994, 09:43 local time
- Place: Gulf Of Mexico, LA
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: ALGA
- Aircraft: N57936, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N57936-2003-05-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aerospatiale AS 355F1 (registry code 8680810, https://openairdocs.org/model/aerospatiale-as-355f1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AEROSP AS355F1
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 6,968 total, 4,186 in this make and model, 77 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940715034609I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: THE PILOT STATED THAT, WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO, HE FELT A SLIGHT YAW IN THE AIRCRAFT AND HEARD A THUMP. THE PILOT DIVERTED THE AIRCRAFT TO AN OFFSHORE PLATFORM LOCATED APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES FROM THE POINT OF THE INCIDENT AND MADE A NORMAL LANDING. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT ON THE PLATFORM REVEALED THAT THE LEFT LOWER BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT DOOR HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE BAGGAGE DOOR WAS LOST OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO AND WAS NOT RECOVERED. THE OPERATOR ROUTINELY ALLOWS PASSENGERS WHO DEPART AND BOARD THE AIRCRAFT TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT DOORS WHILE THE PILOT IS AT THE CONTROLS WITH THE AIRCRAFT RUNNING. THIS PROCEDURE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL DUE PRIMARILY TO THE INSTALLATION WARNING LIGHTS IN THE COCKPIT WARNING THE PILOT WHEN A DOOR IS NOT SECURED; HOWEVER, THE BAGGAGE DOOR WARNING LIGHT ON THIS AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED AND NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE OPERATOR SUSPECTS THAT THE BAGGAGE DOOR WAS NOT COMPLETELY SECURED BY THE PASSENGERS AT THE LAST DEPARTURE POINT. DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS PARTICULAR BAGGAGE DOOR, THE OPERATOR HAS IMPLEMENTED A PROCEDURE TO RESTRICT THE USE OF THIS BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT ONLY UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE PILOT. THE OPERATOR HAS ALSO DISCOVERED A PROBLEM WITH MALFUNCTIONING DOOR WARNING LIGHTS THROUGHOUT ITS FLEET AND IS ADDRESSING THAT PROBLEM IN THE INSPECTION PROGRAMS FOR EACH AIRCRAFT.

## Other reports on N57936 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19940508023509I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940508023509I), May 8, 1994: Aerosp AS355F (N57936), Patterson, LA, Minor damage. Right engine cowling departed helicopter on approach. Damage to rotors. Cowling and support bar cracked.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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