Video Showed That During The Takeoff, The Nose Baggage Door Was Open

Location: Yulee, FL Accident Number: ERA25FA201
Date & Time: May 10, 2025, 09:35 Local Registration: N30689
Aircraft: Piper PA32RT Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On May 10, 2025, about 0935 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, N30689, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Yulee, Florida. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot’s wife reported that the purpose of the flight was for the pilot to reposition the airplane from Nassau Airport (83FL), Yulee, Florida to Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport (FHB), Fernandina Beach, Florida, where they would wait for approaching thunderstorms to pass through the area before continuing on to Tennessee. She reported that earlier that morning, the pilot had dropped her and their dogs off at FHB before driving back to 83FL where he planned to finish loading the airplane for their trip and make the short flight to FHB. Review of video captured by a motion-activated surveillance camera mounted on a hangar near the end of runway 12 at 83FL showed that the airplane taxied toward runway 12 and began a back taxi down the runway and out of the video frame. During the taxi the airplane’s nose baggage door was closed. As the video continued, the airplane re-entered the frame on a takeoff roll at 0934. The video showed that during the takeoff, the nose baggage door was open. The door stayed open until the airplane became airborne and exited the video frame. Following the accident, a sweep of the usable portion of runway 12 found a case of aviation oil about 100 ft from the beginning of the runway and to the right of centerline. A bag of dog food was also found about 440 ft from the beginning of the runway and to the right of centerline. Review of surveillance video from a residence that was located about 550 ft north of the departure end of the runway showed the airplane in a steep left wing low descent prior to impacting a tree and the ground about 10 seconds after departing 83FL.

The wreckage was examined at the accident. The initial impact point was identified as a broken branch about 40 ft up a tree. A crater in the ground was identified about 24 feet away from the tree, and the wreckage came to rest upright about 15 ft from the crater, on a heading of 264° magnetic. The calculated angle of descent between the initial tree impact and the crater was about 50°. An 84-inch-long outboard portion of the left wing was impact-separated and remained near the crater with the left aileron attached.

The cockpit and a majority of the fuselage were consumed by postimpact fire. The left flap, right wing, rudder, vertical stabilizer, and a majority of the stabilator and stabilator trim were also consumed by the postimpact fire. Aileron flight control continuity was confirmed from the aileron bellcranks to the flight control attachment points in the cockpit. Rudder flight control continuity was confirmed from the rudder control drum to the rudder pedals in the cockpit.

Stabilator control continuity was confirmed from the stabilator control bellcrank to the lower portion of the cockpit control. The stabilator trim actuator was measured and equated to a trim setting halfway between full nose down and neutral. The three-blade propeller remained attached to the engine crankshaft flange. The propeller blades exhibited aft bending and chordwise scratching. Engine crankshaft and valvetrain continuity was established when the propeller was rotated 720°. Thumb suction and compression were observed on all cylinders. The vacuum pump remained attached to the engine accessory case; the drive gear and carbon veins all remained intact. The left standard magneto and right electronic magneto were removed and exhibited thermal damage. The fuel pump exhibited impact and thermal damage. The fuel injector assembly was impact separated and exhibited thermal damage. The sparkplugs were removed and exhibited normal wear and coloration consistent with normal engine operation when compared to the Champion Aviation Check-A-Plug AV-27 chart. The fuel injector nozzles were removed and were free of debris.

The postimpact fire consumed most of the airplane’s fuel system. Both main wing fuel tanks were breached and exhibited thermal damage.

The wreckage was retained for further examination.

The pilot’s wife reported that several weeks before the accident, she and the pilot had flown from Clearwater Air Park (CLW), Clearwater, FL to 83FL, a flight that was about 1 hour long. She reported that they had fully fueled the airplane prior to that flight and that the accident flight was the first flight since. She also described that 83FL did not have fuel services and they did not add any fuel to the airplane after the flight from CLW to 83FL. Preliminary review of the Piper PA-32RT-300 Pilot Operating Handbook showed the airplane had an endurance between 5 and 7 hours depending on the power setting used.

Preliminary review of weather radar data showed a line of intense precipitation echoes moving through the area at the time of the accident. A weather station at FHB, which was located about 3 nautical miles east of the accident site, reported at 0935 that the wind was from 180° true at 5 knots, 10 statute miles of visibility, and scattered clouds at 2,300 ft above ground level with thunderstorms in the vicinity and lightning distant southwest through north. The same station reported at 0955 wind from 320° at 13 knots gusting to 20 knots, 2 statute miles of visibility in heavy rain and thunderstorms, overcast clouds at 2,100 ft above ground level, and lightning in all quadrants.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov