# Incident 20010302007039I: Piper PA44180, New Bern, NC, March 2, 2001

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 2, 2001, 22:30 local time
- Place: New Bern, NC
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.0927° N, 77.0718° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of New Bern, NC, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0927&lon=-77.0718&mi=10
- Aircraft: N30521, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N30521) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-44-180 (registry code 7104402, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-44-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA44180
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,003 total, 140 in this make and model, 200 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010302007039I

## Narrative

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

(-23)THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST UNDERGONE AN ANNUAL INPSECTION AT THE PGV AIRPORT. THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE PICKING THE AIRPLANE UP AFTER THAT MAINTENANCE TO FLY IT BACK TO THE EWN AIRPORT.  THE PILOT REPORTED COMPLETING AN NORMAL PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE EMERGENCY EXIT WAS SPECIFICALLY DISCUSSED WITH THE MECHANIC BECAUSE THE MECHANIC REPORTED REMOVING THE EXIT AND REINSTALLING IT DURING THE INSPECTION.  THE PILOT REPORTED THAT, WHILE AT CRUISE, HE AND HIS PASSENGER HEARD A "WHISTLING" NOISE.  THEY INITIALLY ASSUMMED IT WAS A RADIO AND BEGAN TROUBLSHOOTING THE RADIOS.  THEY EVENTUALLY TRACKED THE NOISE DOWN TO THE PILOT'S WINDOW (THE EMERGENCY EXIT) AND, WITH THE AID OF A FLASHLIGHT, NOTICED THAT THE WINDOW WAS SLIGHTLY AWAY FROM THE FRAME AT THE FORWARD LOWER EDGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ALREADY CONFIGURED FOR A SLOW CRUISE SPEED AND THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE WITH THAT SPEED.  AS THEY BEGAN A SLIGHT DESCENT, APPROXIMATELY 10 TO 15 NM NORTH/NORTHWEST OF THE EWN AIRPORT, THE EMERGENCY EXIT LEFT THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE FLIGHT TO LAND AT THE EWN AIRPORT AND STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT FLEW NORMALLY, WITH A SLIGHT YAW TO THE LEFT.  NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIR CRAFT.

## Other reports on N30521 (2)

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

- [Incident 20180503004569I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180503004569I), May 3, 2018: Piper PA-44-180 (N30521), Norfolk, VA, Minor damage. Pilot stated during landing on runway 28 at Hampton Roads executive (pvg), a deer, traveling from left to right, struck the aircraft's left wing and left…
- [Incident 20070816016519I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070816016519I), Aug 16, 2007: Piper PA44180 (N30521), New Bern, NC, Minor damage. (-23) Stabilator control cable broke in flight.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.