Piper PA-60-601P N3645E

Summary

On 30 March 1988 at about 13:53 local time, a Piper PA-60-601P registered N3645E was involved in an accident near St Petersburg, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

30 March 1988 at 13:53

Classification

Accident

Location

St Petersburg, Florida, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-60-601P

Registration

N3645E

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA88LA133

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU 1600 FT WHEN THE UPPER HALF OF THE MAIN ENTRY DOOR OPENED & SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. THE PHYSICIAN PLT STATED THAT HE WAS REASONABLY SURE THAT HE HAD SECURED THE DOOR PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. HE STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THE CABIN HAD NOT YET PRESSURIZED, THE DOOR SEAL HAD INFLATED & THE CABIN WAS SET TO PRESSURIZE AT 2000 FT. THE DOOR WAS RECOVERED FROM A MOBILE HOME PARK WHERE IT HAD STRUCK A MOBILE HOME. AN EXAM OF THE DOOR REVEALED THE FOUR LOCKING PINS WERE EXTENDED OR IN THE LOCKED POSITION. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE UNWARRANTED DOOR OPENING. SINCE 1980, THE AEROSTAR HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN FOUR ACCIDENTS & EIGHT INCIDENTS IN WHICH THE MAIN CABIN ENTRY DOOR OPENED IN FLT. ONE OF THE ACCIDENTS RESULTED IN A FATALITY. ON 4-12-88, THE NTSB RECOMMENDED TO FAA THAT AN AD NOTE BE ISSUED IN A EFFORT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.