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.