Piper PA-28-161 accident near Bridgeport, Texas, May 24, 1997
On May 24, 1997 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N8351R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bridgeport, Texas (Bridgeport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudgment of distance and altitude. A contributing factor was a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 1997 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bridgeport, Texas · Bridgeport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N8351R · no longer on the register · serial 28-8116174
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a 30 minute cross country flight, the pilot flew over the destination airport and observed that the wind sock was 'not functioning.' She then elected to use the same traffic pattern established by another airplane that was already in the pattern (runway 35). On final approach, she determined that she was 'high' and elected to extend full flaps to land. While on the landing roll, she decided to retract the flaps and apply full power for takeoff. After becoming airborne, 'following an insufficient gain of altitude', she elected to land on the remaining runway. By this time, she was 3/4 of the way down the available runway. Subsequently, the airplane overran the runway surface, rolling through a three foot deep ditch and striking a fence. The length of runway 35 is 4,009 feet. The closest weather observation facility, located approximately 25 miles south east of the accident site, reported the winds to be from 180 degrees at 6 knots.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 167 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 86 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,159 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 27, 1997
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Aeronautics INC.
The flight
- Departed from: FTW Fort Worth TX at 10:00 pm
- Destination: 1F9 TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,009 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.