What happened
On October 28, 2020, a Piper PA 34-200T Seneca, registration HK2946, was operating an air ambulance mission from Gustavo Artunduaga Airport in Florencia, Colombia, to Cali. The aircraft was carrying six occupants, including the flight crew, medical personnel, a patient, and an attendant.
Shortly after departing from runway 30, while the aircraft was in a climb at approximately 50 feet AGL, the forward baggage compartment door opened. The pilot immediately notified Air Traffic Control and requested an emergency return to the airport. During the subsequent right-hand turn to align with runway 12, the compartment door became completely detached from the airframe and struck the propeller blades of the number one engine. Despite the impact, the pilot maintained control of the aircraft and completed a safe landing at Florenable. There were no injuries to the six people on board.
The investigation
The GRIAA investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the compartment locking mechanism. While the aircraft's maintenance records showed the compartment door latch had previously undergone a mandatory service bulletin, investigators found that the locking mechanism was prone to misalignment. Specifically, the handle could appear to be in the locked position even when the latch was not properly engaged.
Physical inspections of similar compartment doors on other aircraft in the fleet revealed wear and deformation in the locking spring. The investigation also examined the maintenance oversight and the reporting culture regarding component wear within the operator's safety management system.