Piper PA-32R-300 N9296K

Summary

On 26 August 1995 at about 19:25 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N9296K was involved in an accident near Wichita Falls, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 August 1995 at 19:25

Classification

Accident

Location

Wichita Falls, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.3501, -97.3305

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-300

Registration

N9296K

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Amarillo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW95FA363

3 people were seriously injured.

the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed while diverting attention to an open cargo door. A factor was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after liftoff, the airplane's forward baggage door came open and '...stood straight up and vibrated vigorously.' The pilot elected to continue the takeoff. Witnesses observed the airplane in a steep climb attitude, with the wings 'dipping' from side to side, in a shallow left turn, at an altitude of approximately 50 feet. Approximately 1 mile south of the airport, the airplane collided with a light pole, impacted the ground in a vertical attitude and came to rest inverted. The pilot reported that during the preflight he had taken a quart of oil from the forward baggage compartment to replenish the engine oil. During an interview, the pilot stated that he placed the empty oil container in the baggage compartment, shut the door, but did not lock it. In his written statement, the pilot reported that he locked the door. A postcrash fire consumed the fuselage and precluded examination of the baggage compartment and door.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.