- Date
- January 17, 1982, 14:35 local (21:35 UTC)
- Place
- Delta, UT
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N91TWPiper PA-31T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 17, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820117002259A
- Case key
- 70452
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Approximately 1/2 mi from the arpt after takeoff, the plt noticed the left front baggage door partly open & made a left turn back toward the airstrip. After the turn, the baggage door came completely open, the left wing dropped immediately & the acft stalled. The plt added full power & lowered the nose. When he raised the nose near the ground, the acft shuddered & crashed. Two rescue personnel, both certificated pilots, arrived shortly after the accident & found the nose baggage door in the unlocked position with the bayonet pins retracted. A Piper representative stated that if the left side nose baggage door of a PA-31T opened in flt there would be the likelihood of an interruption to the smooth airflow through the prop, possibly reducing the thrust produced by the blades.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N91TW
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31T-7820078
- Airframe hours
- 340
- Engine
- P & W PT6A-28, 620 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Derral Christensen
- Registered owner
- Derral Christensen
- Departed
- Delta, UT
- Destination
- LAS · Las Vegas, NV
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 520 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Temperature
- 122 °F
- Observed at
- DTA, 1 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.