Takeoff & Initial Climb · NTSB ERA25FA201
PIPER PA32RT — Yulee, FL
| Date | May 10, 2025 |
| Location | Yulee, FL |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA32RT |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Takeoff Preflight or dispatch event |
| Pilot age | 56 |
| Pilot total time | 378 hrs · Building experience |
| Time in type | 17 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Capability exceeded
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Monitoring environment-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Psychological-Attention/monitoring-Attention-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Convective weather-Thunderstorm-Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft-Aircraft structures-Doors-Cargo/baggage doors-Unintentional use/operation
What happened
The purpose of the flight was to reposition the airplane from the departure airport to an airport about 4 nautical miles (nm) away. Before the flight the pilot drove to the destination airport and dropped his spouse, dogs, and some baggage there, where they would wait out storms that were forecasted to pass through the area. He then returned to the departure airport and finished loading the airplane. Surveillance video showed the airplane taxiing and departing. During taxi the nose baggage door appeared to be closed, but during the takeoff roll the nose baggage door appeared to be open. The airplane was then observed during initial climb at a high angle of attack; subsequently, the left wing dropped and the airplane made a steep left-wing-low descent, impacting trees and the ground. The entirety of the flight lasted about 10 seconds.
During postaccident examination, the nose baggage door was not located in the wreckage; the fuselage, including the location of the nose baggage door, was consumed by postimpact fire. No preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Witnesses described that it had just begun to rain about the time of the accident. A review of meteorological conditions showed that at the time of the accident there were thunderstorms quickly moving toward the area. It is not likely that the airplane encountered a weather phenomenon that would have jeopardized the safety of the flight, because the storms were not directly over the accident area at the time of the accident. However, the approaching thunderstorms likely resulted in external pressures and the pilot experiencing “get-there-itis” and rushing to depart on the short flight. It is also likely that, in his rush to depart, the pilot did not ensure the nose baggage door was securely latched, which resulted in the door opening during the takeoff roll. The pilot’s distraction during a critical phase of flight likely resulted in the airplane’s nose-high pitch attitude, exceedance of the critical angle of attack, and subsequent stall/spin.