Piper PA-11 accident near Bridger, Montana, February 15, 1998
On February 15, 1998 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-11, registered N947MG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bridger, Montana (Bridger Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during a bounced landing recovery.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 1998 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Bridger, Montana · Bridger Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-11 · all PA-11s on the register
- Registration
- N947MG · no longer on the register · serial ED-002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that he bounced during landing, so he decided to go around and try again. He said he pushed the carburetor heat in and gave the engine full throttle, but the airplane 'didn't want to fly. The left wing started to stall and put me into a left turn. I corrected and the right wing stalled, and I veered off to the right. I bounced across the runway and didn't get the plane corrected before the leading edge of my right wing hit the top strand of a barbed wire fence.' When the wing struck the wire, the airplane rotated 180 degrees and landed in a rubble pile. Winds were calm at the time.
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: student
- Flight time: 39 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 206 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 24, 1997; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,400 ft by 42 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.