# Accident 19980215001289A: Piper PA11, Bridger, MT, February 15, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 15, 1998, 12:30 local time
- Place: Bridger, MT
- Airport: Bridger Municipal Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.1901° N, 108.7593° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.1901&lon=-108.7593&mi=10
- Aircraft: N947MG, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N947MG-2018-02-07) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper / Duke PA-11 (registry code 7101107, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-duke-pa-11) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA11
- Reported engine: LYC O235C1B
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 39 total, 17 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98LA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA037) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980215001289A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

BOUNCED LANDING LOST CONTROL. WING HIT FENCE. CAME TO REST IN PILE CONCRETE AND RUBBLE. (.4)THE STUDENT PILOT STATED THAT HE BOUNCED DURING LANDING, SO HE DECIDED TO GO AROUND AND TRY AGAIN.  HE SAID HE PUSHED THE CARBURETOR HEAT IN AND GAVE THE ENGINE FULL THROTTLE, BUT THE AIRPLANE 'DIDN'T WANT TO FLY.  THE LEFT WING STARTED TO STALL AND PUT ME INTO A LEFT TURN.  I CORRECTED AND THE RIGHT WING STALLED, AND I VEERED OFF TO THE RIGHT.  I BOUNCED ACROSS THE RUNWAY AND DIDN'T GET THE PLANE CORRECTED BEFORE THE LEADING EDGE OF MY RIGHT WING HIT THE TOP STRAND OF A BARBED WIRE FENCE.'  WHEN THE WING STRUCK THE WIRE, THE AIRPLANE ROTATED 180 DEGREES AND LANDED IN A RUBBLE PILE.  WINDS WERE CALM AT THE TIME.                                                    (-23)PILOT LOST CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT ON LANDING, BOUNCED AND STRUCK RIGHT WING ON BARB WIRE FENCE.  AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN PILE OF CONCRETE AND RUBBLE IN COUNTY DUMP.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA98LA037](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98LA037), Feb 15, 1998: Piper PA-11 (N947MG), Bridger, MT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a bounced landing recovery.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.