Piper PA-32-301 N8374T

Summary

On 16 May 2009 at about 00:00 local time, a Piper PA-32-301 registered N8374T, operated by Carlos Sean N, was involved in an accident near Birchwood, 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.

Date

16 May 2009 at 00:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Birchwood, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.4161, -149.5083

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-301

Registration

N8374T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Carlos Sean N

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Merrill Field → Birchwood

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC09CA048

Nobody was injured.

The failure of maintenance personnel to properly maintain the cargo door latch, resulting in an in-flight opening and separation of the cargo door, and substantial damage to the horizontal stabilator when it was struck by remnants of the cargo door.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airline transport pilot was ferrying the airplane under Title 14, CFR Part 91, to an airport to be painted. During cruise flight, the upper portion of the aft cargo door separated from the airplane, striking the horizontal stabilator. The pilot said he believed the door was latched securely prior to the flight. The flight continued to the destination airport and landed uneventfully. An examination of the fuselage-mounted upper door latch by an FAA inspector showed that the upper portion of the latch striker plate was missing, and the door locking mechanism was not properly aligned with the latch. The FAA inspector noted that it appeared that the missing portion of the latching plate had been missing long before the accident, and should have been found on routine maintenance inspections. The upper portion of the door was not recovered. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the stabilator.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.