- Date
- April 16, 1990, 18:04 local (Apr 17, 1990, 02:04 UTC)
- Place
- Deadhorse, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4109EPiper PA-31-350
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19900416009509A
- Case key
- 5357
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Inadequate maintenance and inspection of the nose baggage door.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During the initial climb the nose baggage door opened, and an engine cover separated and struck the horizontal stabilizer. The baggage door handle latching mechanism spring that exerts pressure to close the handle was found missing. The operator had also modified the latching mechanism to include a non-approved safety device designed to prevent inadvertent opening of the baggage door. The operator did not require that the baggage door be locked for flight, and keys were not available.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4109E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31-8353003
- Airframe hours
- 4,019
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-J, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Cape Smythe Air Service
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 5, 1990 · 25 hours before
- Destination
- BTI · Barter Island, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- PASL · Deadhorse
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight engineer, Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,988 total · 235 in this make and model · 4,014 as pilot in command · 227 in the last 90 days · 101 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 25 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N4109E · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.