- Date
- August 19, 1987, 19:20 local (Aug 20, 1987, 00:20 UTC)
- Place
- Bridgeport, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6895JPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870819049169A
- Case key
- 22421
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The engine quit during cruise flight at 5500 feet MSL but restarted when the pilot switched fuel tanks. He then headed for the nearest airport which was at Bridgeport, TX. While on final approach for landing the engine stopped again and would not restart. A forced landing was made in a hay field about a half mile north of the airport. The aircraft collided with a large bale of hay during the landing sequence. The pilot had overflown his planned enroute refueling point due to known aircraft starter problems and reliance on the aircraft's fuel gauge readings when he reached the planned refueling point.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6895J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7690423
- Airframe hours
- 4,199
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- B P Aero Club
- Registered owner
- Jennings Aero Services, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1986
- Departed
- FNL · Fort Collins, CO
- Destination
- FTW · Fort Worth, TX
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 169 total · 20 in this make and model · 126 as pilot in command · 39 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FTW, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.