- Date
- November 8, 1987, 08:27 local (15:27 UTC)
- Place
- El Paso, TX
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N83931Piper PA-34-220T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 10, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871108075209I
- Case key
- 22565
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the incident.
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
The pilot stated that the nose baggage door was properly closed and locked before takeoff but it came open during the aircraft's initial climb at about 200 feet AGL. He made an immediate descent and landed on the remaining runway. He delayed the leveloff which resulted in a hard landing and collapse of the left main landing gear due to overload forces. Post incident examination of the door latching/locking mechanism revealed no broken or improper parts. However, there was obvious wear and misadjusted components in the latching/locking mechanism. Piper aircraft corporation issued a service bulletin (no. 872) on the day after the incident which addressed the subject of worn and/or misadjusted components in this system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N83931
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-220T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-8133110
- Airframe hours
- 1,049
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-KB1, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cormorant
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 16, 1987 · 43 hours before
- Departed
- ELP · El Paso, TX
- Destination
- ALM · Alamogordo, NM
- Airport
- ELP · El Paso Int'L, runway 4, 11,012 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,223 total · 373 in this make and model · 945 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 70 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ELP
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.