Piper PA-31-350 N4109E

Summary

On 24 May 1996 at about 22:38 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N4109E was involved in an accident near Point Hope, Alaska, United States. 6 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 May 1996 at 22:38

Classification

Accident

Location

Point Hope, Alaska, United States

Nearest airport

Point Hope (PHO)

Coordinates

68.7007, -164.8100

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 → Wainwright

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC96FA078

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's inadequate preflight to ensure the nose baggage door was properly latched, and the subsequent opening of the baggage compartment door, which allowed items to collide with the left propeller, resulting in propeller damage and loss of thrust from the left engine.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The scheduled air taxi flight was to depart Point Hope, Alaska, with a destination of Wainwright, Alaska. While the airplane was on the ground at Point Hope, the station agent loaded the nose baggage compartment and closed the nose baggage door. The pilot visually checked the nose baggage door while standing on the wing next to the cockpit door. During the takeoff, at rotation, the nose baggage door came fully open. Baggage and boxes exited the nose baggage compartment and fell through the left engine's propeller. The pilot elected to land on sea ice. Just prior to touching down, the airplane started a slow, uncontrolled roll to the left. The passenger reported that when baggage exited the baggage compartment, a duffel bag hit the propeller; he described the propeller as being destroyed by the encounter. According to the pilot, the company training program included instructions concerning baggage door operation. The pilot was under the impression from informal discussions that the PA-31 airplane would not fly with the nose baggage door in the open position. The company training program did not discuss operations with an open nose baggage door.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.