20240215002429I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32-260 · Louisville, KY · February 15, 2024

Date: February 15, 2024 · 17:20 local
Place: Louisville, KY
Airport: Bowman Field
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N3438W
Reported as: Piper PA-32-260
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,100 total

N3438WRegistered now · Piper PA-32-260S/N 32-302 · Built 1966 Airframe modelPiper PA-32-260 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

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.

According to the pilot's statement: performed normal preflight at pdk. During preflight the pilot closed the luggage compartment door, removed the key, and verified it was locked and sealed.

Departure from pdk, flight to lou, and approach were stable and uneventful.

After engine shutdown, pilot exited the aircraft and was informed by line crew that the luggage compartment door was missing. All items that had been placed in the compartment were still in the compartment.

There were no injuries. There was no damage to airport property and no post-incident fire.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT: PERFORMED NORMAL PREFLIGHT AT PDK. DURING PREFLIGHT THE PILOT CLOSED THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT DOOR, REMOVED THE KEY, AND VERIFIED IT WAS LOCKED AND SEALED.

DEPARTURE FROM PDK, FLIGHT TO LOU, AND APPROACH WERE STABLE AND UNEVENTFUL.

AFTER ENGINE SHUTDOWN, PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS INFORMED BY LINE CREW THAT THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT DOOR WAS MISSING. ALL ITEMS THAT HAD BEEN PLACED IN THE COMPARTMENT WERE STILL IN THE COMPARTMENT.

THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO AIRPORT PROPERTY AND NO POST-INCIDENT FIRE.