# Accident 19980707044109A: Piper PA60602P, Beaumont Port A, TX, July 7, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 7, 1998, 06:35 local time - Place: Beaumont Port A, TX - Airport: Jefferson County Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 29.9434° N, 94.0064° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from the FAA’s distance and direction from , within about a mile (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.9434&lon=-94.0064&mi=10 - Aircraft: N6898Y, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6898Y-2010-05-04) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-60-602P (registry code 7106015, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-60-602p) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA60602P - Reported engine: LYC IO540AA1A - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,850 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA303](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA303) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980707044109A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.4) ON JULY 7, 1998, AT 0635 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-60-602P TWIN ENGINE AIRPLANE, N6898Y, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO LAND AT THE JEFFERSON COUNTY AIRPORT, NEAR BEAUMONT, TEXAS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT/OWNER AND HIS PASSENGER WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO THE W.H. WATKINS COMPANY, OF BATESVILLE, MISSISSIPPI. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT FOR WHICH AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT, WHICH WAS DESTINED FOR THE PANOLA COUNTY AIRPORT, NEAR BATESVILLE, MISSISSIPPI, WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO PERSONNEL AT THE AIRPORT, AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND A CLEARANCE WAS RECEIVED FOR THE 337 NAUTICAL MILE FLIGHT. AFTER DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 12, APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT A DOOR HAD OPENED IN FLIGHT AND HE WAS RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 30. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY FAA INSPECTORS WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE DOOR FOR THE UNPRESSURIZED BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF FUSELAGE, AFT OF THE FUEL CELL, HAD DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH AN OPEN DOOR. THE FAA INSPECTOR STATED THAT PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AND GROUND SIGNATURES AT THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND AT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT, AT RELATIVELY LOW FORWARD SPEED. AT THE TIME OF IMPACT, THE AIRPLANE WAS CONFIGURED WITH THE LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS EXTENDED. ACCORDING TO FAA RECORDS, THE PRIVATE PILOT OBTAINED HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE ON DECEMBER 2, 1994. ADDITIONALLY, THE PILOT HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 1,850 FLIGHT HOURS AT THE TIME OF HIS LAST FAA MEDICAL EXAMINATION ON JANUARY 24, 1997. THE PILOT'S LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE IN THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED; HOWEVER, THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE 1982 MODEL AIRPLANE WAS PURCHASED BY THE COMPANY 4 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. DESPITE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN A COMPLETED NTSB FORM 6120.1/2, THE PILOT DID NOT RETURN THE REQUESTED FORM. (-23) SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT REPORTED TO BPT ATCT THAT A DOOR WAS OPEN AND HE NEEDED TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY. ATCT RESPONDED THAT HE WAS CLEAR ED TO LAND FROM EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT DOWNWIND. AIRCRAFT ALNDED 1 NM FROM DEPARTURE END OF RWY 12, IN HEAVY BRUSH AND TREES, WITH LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS IN THE LANDING CONFIGURATION. PILOT AND NON-PILOT PASSENGER WERE SEVERELY INJURED; AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. AIRPORT WAS IMC AND IFR DUE TO GROUND FOG AT THE TIME OF TAKEOFF. SEARCH OF FAA AIRMAN RECORDS INDICATES THAT PILOT IN COMMAND WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED AT TIME OF ACCIDENT. ## 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 FTW98LA303](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA303), Jul 7, 1998: Piper PA-60-602P (N6898Y), Beaumont, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane while attempting to return to the airport. Factors were the open baggage compartment door and the pilot's diverted attention to the open door. ## Other reports on N6898Y (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19951231045799I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19951231045799I), Dec 31, 1995: Piper PA60602P (N6898Y), Fayetteville, AR. Narrative: history of flight: on Sunday, December 31, 1995, at approximately 1730 local time, aircraft Piper, PA-60-602, s/n 60-8265010, on IFR flight, enroute… 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.