# Accident 20200702018209A: Piper PA-28-140, Bridgeport, TX, July 2, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 2, 2020, 19:30 local time
- Place: Bridgeport, TX
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.1628° N, 97.8242° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1628&lon=-97.8242&mi=10
- Aircraft: N6530W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N6530W-2021-11-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-140
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN20LA258](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA258) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200702018209A

## Narrative

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

FROM PIC:

WX: CLEAR BELOW 12,000?, WINDS 160/07 (EARLIER AWOS HAD GUSTS UP TO 14 BUT NOT REPORTED PRIOR TO TAKEOFF).

WX BRIEFING: N/A

TAKEOFF RUNWAY: 18

FLIGHT PLAN: NONE FILED ? XBP TO XBP - LOCAL VFR INTRODUCTORY FLIGHT FOR A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT DESIRING TO BECOME AND AIRLINE PILOT.

TRAFFIC: NO OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE VICINITY ? STILL MADE APPROPRIATE NON-CONTROLLED AIRPORT COMMUNICATION.

PASSENGERS ONBOARD:  ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE RPMS WERE APPROXIMATELY 2350, CONSISTENT WITH EVERY OTHER TAKEOFF, AND ALL ENGINE INDICATIONS WERE IN THE GREEN.

APPROXIMATELY 100-200? AGL, I FELT THE ENGINE SEEM TO LOSE POWER (THRUST), HOWEVER THERE WAS NO VIBRATION OR ABNORMAL NOISE OR INDICATIONS.  THE BOYS SAID THAT I SAID, ?THIS DOESN?T FEEL RIGHT!?  I IMMEDIATELY TOLD ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO LET GO OF THE CONTROLS AND I KNEW WE WOULD NOT CLEAR THE BLUFF SOUTH OF THE RUNWAY AND STARTED A SHALLOW LEFT TURN TO ATTEMPT TO TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRFIELD.  HOWEVER, THERE WAS SO LITTLE THRUST, ANY STEEP TURNS WOULD CAUSE AN UNACCEPTABLE LOSS OF LIFT/ALTITUDE.  IN A SHALLOW LEFT TURN, I BEGAN TROUBLESHOOTING.  FIRST INSTINCT WAS FUEL ? I DOUBLE CHECKED FUEL PUMP ON AND IT WAS ON; THEN I SWAPPED FUEL TANKS TO SEE IF IT WAS A TANK ISSUE.  NO CHANGE IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE.  CONCURRENTLY, I WAS SCANNING FOR SAFE PLACE TO LAND AND WITNESSED A FARMER?S FIELD TO THE SOUTH EAST.  IN THE MEANTIME, I CONTINUED TO VERIFY THAT THE FUEL PUMP, MAGNETOS, CARB HEAT, MIXTURE, ETC. WERE APPROPRIATELY CONFIGURED AND NOTHING WAS ABNORMAL.  I EVEN CHECKED ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS (I OBVIOUSLY COULD NOT CHECK FUSES).  ABOUT THIS TIME, I HAD COMMITTED TO PUTTING IT DOWN OFF-AIRPORT AND CONTINUED TO EYE THE FARMERS FIELD, HOWEVER, AS I LOOKED CLOSER, THERE WAS A SERIES OF POWER LINES RUNNING NORTH SOUTH THAT I WAS CERTAIN I WOULD NOT CLEAR GIVEN THAT I WAS VERY CLOSE TO STALL (STALL WARNING LIGHT WAS STARTING TO ILLUMINATE ON AND OFF AT THIS POINT WITH FULL THROTTLE).  I CONSIDERED CHANGING FLAP CONFIGURATION TO GAIN MORE LIFT, BUT INSTINCTIVELY FELT THAT THE DRAG WOULD CERTAINLY BE DETRIMENTAL.  I MADE A LAST DITCH LEFT TURN TO AVOID THE POWER LINES WHICH COMMITTED ME TO A FIELD OF MEDIUM-MATURITY MESQUITE TREES.  I TOLD THE TWO PASSENGERS, ?BOYS, WE ARE GOIN? DOWN!?  I HAD FULL THROTTLE AT THE TIME.  I INSTANTLY WITNESSED A ?MESQUITE MORE SPARSE? AREA IN CLOSE, SO I PULLED THE POWER TO IDLE AND THE ENGINE DID RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.  I TOLD THE BOYS TO ?BRACE FOR IMPACT? AND WE TOUCHED DOWN WITH FULL AERODYNAMIC CONTROL. THE TOUCHDOWN AND ?ROLL-OUT? (LOL) WAS SURPRISINGLY NON-VIOLENT, DESPITE THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT.

## 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 CEN20LA258](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA258), Jul 2, 2020: Piper PA28 (N6530W), Bridgeport, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: Maintenance personnel’s inadequate inspection, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to a restricted air intake-induction system.

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.

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