# Accident 19980720044929A: Piper PA23, Bridgeport, TX, July 20, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 20, 1998, 19:00 local time - Place: Bridgeport, TX - Airport: Bridgeport Municipal Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.1999° N, 97.7504° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1999&lon=-97.7504&mi=10 - Aircraft: N3154P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3154P-2015-05-08) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-23 (registry code 7102302, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA23 - Reported engine: LYC O320* - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,730 total, 160 in this make and model, 220 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98LA321](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA321) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980720044929A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.4) DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, THE TWIN ENGINE AIRPLANE UNDERSHOT THE RUNWAY FOLLOWING A LOSS OF RIGHT ENGINE POWER. WITH THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION AT THE CONTROLS, THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF AND REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. AS THE TURN TO BASE LEG WAS MADE, THE AIRPLANE `SUDDENLY' BEGAN LOOSING ALTITUDE, AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. THE INSTRUCTOR ADDED FULL POWER, FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE AND RETRACTED THE FLAPS. HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT MONITORING OF THE ENGINE GAUGES MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED THE ACCIDENT BY ALERTING THE PILOTS TO THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER `AT AN EARLIER STAGE.' THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF RIGHT ENGINE POWER HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED. (-23) ON JULY 20, 1998, AT APPROXIMATELY 1900 CDT, PILOT-IN-COMMAND, LAKSHMI SAMEER KAKARLAPUDI, AND TWO OTHERS ON BOARD PA-23, N3154P DEPARTED RUNWAY 17 AT BRIDGEPORT AIRPORT FOR TOUCH & GO LANDINGS. WHILE ON DOWNWIND, #2 ENGINE LOST POWER, THE PIC TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND CRASH LANDED ONE MILE NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE WA S DEMOLISHED. (.19) ON JULY 20, 1998, AT 1845 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-23 TWIN ENGINE AIRPLANE, N3145P, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF POWER FROM THE RIGHT ENGINE NEAR BRIDGEPORT, TEXAS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION, AND THE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE TRAINING FLIGHT WAS OPERATED UNDER TITLE CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION PROVIDED BY AN FAA INSPECTOR, THE AIRPLANE WAS ON DOWNWIND TO LAND ON RUNWAY 17 AT THE BRIDGEPORT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT WHEN IT BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION AND FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED TERRAIN NORTH OF RUNWAY 17. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY THE FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT BOTH WINGS WERE SEPARATED OUTBOARD OF THE ENGINES, AND THE INBOARD PORTIONS OF THE WING WERE PULLED AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS FOUND UNDERNEATH THE WRECKAGE, AND FUEL WAS OBSERVED IN THE FUEL TANKS. ## 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 FTW98LA321](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98LA321), Jul 21, 1998: Piper PA-23 (N3154P), Bridgeport, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight instructor's delay in recognizing and responding to the loss of right engine power which resulted in the airplane landing short of the runway. A factor was the loss of right engine power… ## Other reports on N3154P (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19900811043059I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900811043059I), Aug 11, 1990: Piper PA23 (N3154P), Woodlake, CA. Left engine quit at cruise altitude. Vectored to airport. Landed without incident. - [Accident 19760712020729A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19760712020729A), Jul 12, 1976: Piper PA23 (N3154P), Lakeview, OR, Substantial damage. Lost oil PR,feathered l eng at 7500FT.lndd in fld. Oil lkg fm prop gov ctl shaft. Da 9000 acdt site. 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.