20050223004649I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA31310 · Sparta, MI · February 23, 2005

Date: February 23, 2005 · 09:15 local
Place: Sparta, MI
Airport: Sparta Airport
Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N901AM
Reported as: Piper PA31310
Reported engine: Lycoming TIO540*
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,100 total1,100 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N901AMRegistration cancelled Aug 9, 2019 · Piper PA-31S/N 31-781 · Built 1971 Airframe modelPiper PA-31 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) The subject aircraft enroute from midland barstow (3BS) to Sparta Airport, MI (8D4). The pilot picked up 3 persons from Sparta Airport, MI and took off about 9:15 from Sparta Airport. After rotation and about 100 feet AGL the nose baggage door came open and 3 nylon bags whipped around the door opening and exited the door taking the collapsible tow bar. The tow bar hit one of the left propeller blade tips, struck the left engine nacelle dent and 3 inches cut in the skin. Then it hit the left horizontal stabilizer leading edge, resulting in a large dent and a cut on the leading edge. The ppilot made a normal landing and left the aircraft at paramount aviation hangar in Sparta.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT ENROUTE FROM MIDLAND BARSTOW (3BS) TO SPARTA AIRPORT, MI (8D4). THE PILOT PICKED UP 3 PERSONS FROM SPARTA AIRPORT, MI AND TOOK OFF ABOUT 9:15 FROM SPARTA AIRPORT. AFTER ROTATION AND ABOUT 100 FEET AGL THE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR CAME OPEN AND 3 NYLON BAGS WHIPPED AROUND THE DOOR OPENING AND EXITED THE DOOR TAKING THE COLLAPSIBLE TOW BAR. THE TOW BAR HIT ONE OF THE LEFT PROPELLER BLADE TIPS, STRUCK THE LEFT ENGINE NACELLE DENT AND 3 INCHES CUT IN THE SKIN. THEN IT HIT THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER LEADING EDGE, RESULTING IN A LARGE DENT AND A CUT ON THE LEADING EDGE. THE PPILOT MADE A NORMAL LANDING AND LEFT THE AIRCRAFT AT PARAMOUNT AVIATION HANGAR IN SPARTA.