Piper PA-31T accident near Delta, Utah, January 17, 1982
On January 17, 1982 at about 9:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-31T, registered N91TW, was destroyed in an accident near Delta, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 1982 · about 9:35 pm local time
- Place
- Delta, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31T · all PA-31Ts on the register
- Registration
- N91TW · registry record · serial 31T-7820078
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MI FROM THE ARPT AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT NOTICED THE LEFT FRONT BAGGAGE DOOR PARTLY OPEN & MADE A LEFT TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRSTRIP. AFTER THE TURN, THE BAGGAGE DOOR CAME COMPLETELY OPEN, THE LEFT WING DROPPED IMMEDIATELY & THE ACFT STALLED. THE PLT ADDED FULL POWER & LOWERED THE NOSE. WHEN HE RAISED THE NOSE NEAR THE GROUND, THE ACFT SHUDDERED & CRASHED. TWO RESCUE PERSONNEL, BOTH CERTIFICATED PILOTS, ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER THE ACCIDENT & FOUND THE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR IN THE UNLOCKED POSITION WITH THE BAYONET PINS RETRACTED. A PIPER REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT IF THE LEFT SIDE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR OF A PA-31T OPENED IN FLT THERE WOULD BE THE LIKELIHOOD OF AN INTERRUPTION TO THE SMOOTH AIRFLOW THROUGH THE PROP, POSSIBLY REDUCING THE THRUST PRODUCED BY THE BLADES.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 520 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 340 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P & W PT6A-28 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Delta UT at 2:30 pm
- Destination: LAS Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 122°F (50°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 2:00 pm from DTA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN82FA020.