Bryant Field Airport, Bridgeport, CA

Location:  The Bryant Field airport is located north east of Bridgeport, elevation is approximately 6500 ft.

History:

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Bryant Field Airport Today:  Helicopter and Military operations; Obstructions reported; Birds; rotating beacon;



Airport Services and Amenities: Food and lodging nearby;

Byrant Field has a single runway, and is an unattended, public airport.  There is no control tower and tie-downs and fuel are available.

Special Events and Attractions:

Airport Area Accident History:

Accident occurred Thursday, July 05, 2007 in Bridgeport, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 8/30/2007
Aircraft: Schempp-Hirth Ventus-2C, registration: N11YD
Injuries: 1 Minor.
The glider landed short of the runway after encountering unfavorable wind conditions. According to the pilot and data retrieved from an on-board data recorder, heavy sink was experienced while the pilot maneuvered in the pattern to land, which reduced the glide ratio from 50:1 to 10:1. With inadequate altitude to compensate for the sink, the glider impacted a berm in the rough terrain several hundred feet short of the runway, whereupon it nosed over. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's encounter with an unfavorable wind and high sink rate conditions. ===
Accident occurred Friday, December 22, 2006 in Bridgeport, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 9/26/2008
Aircraft: Piper PA-28-140, registration: N8001H
Injuries: 1 Fatal.
There were no known witnesses to the accident. The non-instrument rated pilot was on a cross-country flight over mountainous terrain. There was an Airmen's Meteorological Information (AIRMET) advisory for mountain obscuration by clouds, precipitation, mist, and fog that included the area along the route of flight. A radar target that transited the expected flight path from the departure point at the time of the airplane's flight displayed climbs and descents consistent with attempts to avoid clouds. The airplane collided with the mountainous terrain in an extreme nose down attitude at high velocity. Investigators discovered no anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's attempted VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions and subsequent failure to maintain aircraft control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was mountain obscuration. ===
Accident occurred Friday, September 17, 2004 in Bridgeport, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 12/20/2005
Aircraft: Hebb Avid Magnum, registration: N970JH
Injuries: 1 Serious.
Shortly after takeoff in a 90-degree, 10-knot crosswind the pilot lost control of the airplane and it impacted terrain. The pilot said that during preflight preparations for the accident flight, he noted a crosswind from the left that he estimated to be greater than 10 nautical miles per hour, and at 90 degrees to the departure runway 34. Concerned about the crosswind, the pilot decided not to take passengers on the flight, as he had previously planned. The pilot stated that he was familiar with operating the airplane in similar crosswind conditions, and did not encounter difficulty taxing the airplane to the departure runway. After beginning the takeoff roll and becoming airborne, the airplane was upset and the pilot experienced a loss of control. A witness reported that the airplane took off with an estimated 90-degree crosswind to the runway. The windsock was about 90 percent full. During takeoff, the airplane drifted to the left, and climbed to about 100 feet. The airplane then rolled to the right and impacted terrain nose down, 30 to 40 feet east of the runway. The witness said the rudder was deflected fully to the right, and the right aileron was fully deflected down just before the airplane rolled off to the right and hit the ground. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's failure to adequately compensate for the crosswind condition and his failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while using crossed controls, which led to a stall. ===
Accident occurred Sunday, July 11, 2004 in Bridgeport, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 1/31/2006
Aircraft: Piper PA-28-161, registration: N6106H
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
The airplane collided with mountainous terrain while attempting to traverse the mountains at a density altitude approaching the climb capability limit of the airplane. The pilot reported that after departure he conducted circling climbs over the traffic pattern to gain altitude before heading west toward rising terrain to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. He stated that he did not remember exactly what altitude he climbed to, but estimated that it was around 9,000 to 9,500 feet mean sea level (msl). The pilot flew the airplane between two mountain peaks, which were separated by a 1-mile trough. As the airplane was flying between the peaks, it encountered a downdraft that sent the airplane in a nose down pitch attitude. The pilot attempted to recover, but found the engine could not produce enough power to attain a positive climb rate. The pilot leveled off the airplane and attempted to turn it to the left, but heard the stall warning horn sound. The pilot then tried to turn the airplane to the right, but the stall warning horn sounded again. The pilot pulled the nose up before the airplane impacted the ground. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector, who performed a post-accident examination of the airplane, reported that there was nothing wrong with the airplane that would have prevented its normal operation. The approximate density altitude at the accident site was calculated to be 12,300 feet, which according to the airplane information manual, would only allow a 60-foot-per-minute climb rate. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: the pilot's failure to attain an adequate altitude to clear mountainous terrain during a high density altitude condition. ===
Accident occurred Sunday, September 02, 2001 in Bridgeport, CA
Probable Cause Approval Date: 5/28/2002
Aircraft: Bellanca 7GCAA, registration: N5042D
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.
The pilot reported that he landed the airplane on runway 16 (4,329 feet long x 60 feet wide). The tail of the aircraft bounced violently and the airplane veered to the left. He applied right rudder and some power; however, the airplane drifted off the east edge of the runway and ground looped when the right main landing gear entered dense brush. The right landing gear was torn off and the right-hand wing contacted the ground during the ensuing ground loop. In his report to the Safety Board, in the section "Mechanical Malfunction Failure," the pilot checked "no." He also reported the wind was calm. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The failure of the pilot to maintain directional control of the tail wheel equipped aircraft during landing roll which resulted in a ground loop.


Bryant Field Airport Approach / Landing: