Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
St Petersburg, Florida 34622
Wednesday, March 30, 1988 8:53 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE ACFT WAS CLIMBING THRU 1600 FT WHEN THE UPPER HALF OF THE MAIN ENTRY DOOR OPENED & SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. THE PHYSICIAN PLT STATED THAT HE WAS REASONABLY SURE THAT HE HAD SECURED THE DOOR PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. HE STATED THAT ALTHOUGH THE CABIN HAD NOT YET PRESSURIZED, THE DOOR SEAL HAD INFLATED & THE CABIN WAS SET TO PRESSURIZE AT 2000 FT. THE DOOR WAS RECOVERED FROM A MOBILE HOME PARK WHERE IT HAD STRUCK A MOBILE HOME. AN EXAM OF THE DOOR REVEALED THE FOUR LOCKING PINS WERE EXTENDED OR IN THE LOCKED POSITION. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE UNWARRANTED DOOR OPENING. SINCE 1980, THE AEROSTAR HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN FOUR ACCIDENTS & EIGHT INCIDENTS IN WHICH THE MAIN CABIN ENTRY DOOR OPENED IN FLT. ONE OF THE ACCIDENTS RESULTED IN A FATALITY. ON 4-12-88, THE NTSB RECOMMENDED TO FAA THAT AN AD NOTE BE ISSUED IN A EFFORT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/30/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 853 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | ST PETERSBURG |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 34622 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 0 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 854 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 130 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PIE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 9 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 90 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 281 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 30 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1000 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 36011 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:37AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3645E |
| NTSB Number | MIA88LA133 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-60-601P |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-60-601P |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 61P084581634 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Sep 3 1987 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2867 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MAYFLYER, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7 WINDWARD ISLAND |
| Aircraft Owner City | CLEARWATER |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34630 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | PIE |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |