Aviation Accident Summaries

Aviation Accident Summary DEN82FA020

DELTA, UT, USA

Aircraft #1

N91TW

PIPER PA-31T

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.

 

Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database

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