What happened
On 10 January 2018, a Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga SP, registration G-ELLA, was conducting a training flight near the Compton VOR. During the flight, while the crew was performing stall practice, the door to the forward baggage compartment opened unexpectedly.
Prior to the flight, the pilot had removed an aircraft cover and placed it inside the forward baggage bay. When the door failed, the cover was pulled out of the compartment by the airflow, striking the aircraft's wing before becoming detached from the airframe. Despite the door remaining open in the slipstream, the crew did not encounter any difficulties controlling the aircraft. The flight was concluded by returning to White Waltham airfield, where the aircraft landed without further incident. There were no injuries to the two crew members on board.
The investigation
The AAIB investigation, prompted by the pilot's report, focused on the circumstances surrounding the pre-flight inspection and the mechanical state of the baggage door. The investigation established that the aircraft sustained damage to the forward baggage bay door as a result of the incident. Following the event, the aircraft was repaired and returned to service.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was that the baggage bay door was not properly secured during the pre-flight inspection.
- The movement of the aircraft cover out of the compartment was caused by the aerodynamic forces acting on the unsecured item once the door opened.