# Accident 19970702016649A: Piper PA32R301, South St Paul, MN, July 2, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 2, 1997, 07:20 local time
- Place: South St Paul, MN
- Airport: South St Paul Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.9295° N, 93.0791° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.9295&lon=-93.0791&mi=10
- Aircraft: N83353, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N83353-1998-12-22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32R-301 (registry code 7103218, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-301) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32R301
- Reported engine: LYC IO540*
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 1,950 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI97FA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97FA200) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970702016649A

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT CRASHED INTO RIVER. RECUSED ATTEMPTED.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 (.4)SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF IN GUSTY WINDS, THE FORWARD BAGGAGE DOOR OPENED. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT WHEN THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AND DESCENDED INTO THE RIVER.  THE PASSENGERS STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS AT A LOW ALTITUDE, THE WINGS WERE ROCKING LEFT AND RIGHT, AND A BUZZER WAS SOUNDING JUST BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.  ONE PASSENGER STATED TO HIS KNOWLEDGE THE BAGGAGE DOOR WAS LATCHED, BUT NOT LOCKED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF.  INSPECTION OF THE BAGGAGE DOOR LATCH AFTER THE ACCIDENT SHOWED IT WAS IN THE LATCHED POSITION.  NO FAILURE OF THE LATCH WAS NOTED WHICH WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN IT OPENING DURING THE FLIGHT.  THE TAKEOFF WAS PERFORMED ON RUNWAY 16 AND THE WINDS WERE FROM 210 DEGREES AT 13 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 21 KNOTS.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI97FA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI97FA200), Jul 2, 1997: Piper PA-32R-301 (N83353), St. Paul, MN, substantial damage, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall. Related factors were the pilot's diverted attention and gusty wind conditions.

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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