Incident Overview
On September 19, 2010, at 1440 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA31-350, registration N84859, was involved in an accident during the initial climb phase of flight. The aircraft was registered to Spirit Air Inc and operated by Pioneer Air Service under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The flight originated from Bimini Airport, South Bimini Island, Bahamas, at 1435. Instrument flight rules were in effect, and visual meteorological conditions prevailed.
Sequence of Events
During initial climb, the lower half of the main cabin door opened unexpectedly. The pilot reversed course and returned to the departure airport. The aircraft landed on runway 27. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear tire blew out. The airplane then departed the right side of the runway, struck a tree, caught fire, and came to a complete stop.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot and five passengers were not injured.