Piper PA-32-301 accident near Birchwood, Alaska, May 16, 2009
On May 16, 2009, a Piper PA-32-301, registered N8374T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Birchwood, Alaska. It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of maintenance personnel to properly maintain the cargo door latch, resulting in an in-flight opening and separation of the cargo door, and substantial damage to the horizontal stabilator when it was struck by remnants of the cargo door.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 2009
- Place
- Birchwood, Alaska · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-301 · all PA-32-301s on the register
- Registration
- N8374T · registry record · serial 32-8106058
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot was ferrying the airplane under Title 14, CFR Part 91, to an airport to be painted. During cruise flight, the upper portion of the aft cargo door separated from the airplane, striking the horizontal stabilator. The pilot said he believed the door was latched securely prior to the flight. The flight continued to the destination airport and landed uneventfully. An examination of the fuselage-mounted upper door latch by an FAA inspector showed that the upper portion of the latch striker plate was missing, and the door locking mechanism was not properly aligned with the latch. The FAA inspector noted that it appeared that the missing portion of the latching plate had been missing long before the accident, and should have been found on routine maintenance inspections. The upper portion of the door was not recovered. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the stabilator.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Cargo/baggage doors › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Cargo/baggage doors › Inadequate inspection
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Scheduled/routine inspection › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 10,084 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 9,678 as pilot in command; 3,220 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 17, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,550 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 3, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MRI Merrill Field AK at 6:30 pm
- Destination: PABV Birchwood AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N8374T the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.