Piper PA-31-350 N4109E
17 April 1990 · Deadhorse, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 17 April 1990 at about 02:04 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N4109E was involved in an accident near Deadhorse, Alaska, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 02:04
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Deadhorse, Alaska, United States
- Nearest airport
- Deadhorse (PASL)
- Coordinates
- 70.4301, -149.2894
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350
- Registration
- N4109E
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Barter Island
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC90LA062
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF THE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
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.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-31 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 1990 | Piper PA-31-350 | Bois D'arc, Missouri, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 26 Jun 1990 | Piper PA-31 | Panama City, Florida, United States | Panama Aviation, Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 23 May 1990 | Piper PA-31-350 | Tampa, Florida, United States | Top Flight Air Service | No injuries | - |
| 18 Dec 1990 | Piper PA-31-350 | Evanston, Wyoming, United States | Alpine Aviation | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Aug 1990 | Piper PA-31-350 | Norridgewock, Maine, United States | Telford Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 17 Feb 1990 | Piper PA-31-350 | Cold Bay, Alaska, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug 1990 | Aerospatiale AS-350-B | Juneau, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Aug 1990 | Stinson 108 | Cold Foot, Alaska, United States | Beyers, David W. | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 1990 | Piper PA-22 | Igiugig, Alaska, United States | Robert Bumbaugh | No injuries | - |
| 9 Aug 1990 | Bellanca 8GCBC | Ivishak River, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1990 | Artic S1B2 | Talkeetna, Alaska, United States | Jenne, Eugene F. | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 1990 | Cessna 185 | Nenana, Alaska, United States | Clifton, Jesse | No injuries | - |