On April 17, 1990, a Piper PA-31-350 (registration N4109E) was involved in an aviation accident near Deadhorse, AK. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF THE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
During initial climb, the nose baggage door opened. An engine cover then separated and struck the horizontal stabilizer. The baggage door handle latching mechanism spring was missing. The operator had modified the mechanism with a non-approved safety device. Keys were not available, and locking was not required.
Incident Description
During the initial climb phase of the flight, the nose baggage door opened. Subsequently, an engine cover separated from the aircraft and struck the horizontal stabilizer.
Investigation Findings
Examination of the baggage door handle latching mechanism revealed that the spring, which exerts pressure to close the handle, was missing. Additionally, the operator had modified the latching mechanism to include a safety device not approved for the aircraft. This device was intended to prevent inadvertent opening of the baggage door.
The operator did not require that the baggage door be locked for flight. Furthermore, keys for the baggage door were not available.