Piper PA-31-350 accident near Deadhorse, Alaska, April 17, 1990
On April 17, 1990 at about 2:04 am local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N4109E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Deadhorse, Alaska (Deadhorse airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION OF THE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 1990 · about 2:04 am local time
- Place
- Deadhorse, Alaska · Deadhorse · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N4109E · no longer on the register · serial 31-8353003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB THE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR OPENED, AND AN ENGINE COVER SEPARATED AND STRUCK THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE BAGGAGE DOOR HANDLE LATCHING MECHANISM SPRING THAT EXERTS PRESSURE TO CLOSE THE HANDLE WAS FOUND MISSING. THE OPERATOR HAD ALSO MODIFIED THE LATCHING MECHANISM TO INCLUDE A NON-APPROVED SAFETY DEVICE DESIGNED TO PREVENT INADVERTENT OPENING OF THE BAGGAGE DOOR. THE OPERATOR DID NOT REQUIRE THAT THE BAGGAGE DOOR BE LOCKED FOR FLIGHT, AND KEYS WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,988 hours in all; 235 in this make and model; 227 in the last 90 days; 101 in the last 30 days; 4,014 as pilot in command; 842 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,019 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 5, 1990; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: BTI Barter Island AK
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 400 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 N4109E 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.