What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On climbout large bird struck PA28 and entered engine compartment. Lost power. Landed rough field. Wing hit a tree. (.4) on April 28, 1998, about 1005 eastern daylight time a Piper PA-28RT-201T, N2125N, collided with a bird shortly after takeoff at the Vandenberg Airport, in Tampa, Florida. The airplane was operated by the certified flight instructor under the provisions of title 14 CFR part 91, and visual flight rules. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The pilot and one passenger were not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the pilot, immediately after rotation, a large bird struck the front of the airplane and entered into the engine compartment. Subsequently, the engine stopped and the pilot made an emergency landing into a rough field collapsing the left main gear and striking a tree with the left wing substantially damaging the airplane. According to the FAA, after takeoff at about 500 feet above ground level (AGL) on climb out the airplane struck a bird. The impact separated a fuel line and a loss of engine power occure d. the airplane landed in an open field approximately 2 miles from runway 18. The owner and pilot were sent an NTSB form 6120.1/2 pilot/operator report, but did not return it. (-23) aircraft sustained substantial damage when after takeoff, at approximately 500', was struck by a bird. The impact damaged the gasolator and attached fuel line. The aircraft lost power and made an emergency landing in an open field approximately 2 miles from vandenburg airport. VMC conditions prevailed. There were no injuries reported by the pilot or passenger.
As the FAA filed it
ON CLIMBOUT LARGE BIRD STRUCK PA28 AND ENTERED ENGINE COMPARTMENT. LOST POWER. LANDED ROUGH FIELD. WING HIT A TREE. (.4) ON APRIL 28, 1998, ABOUT 1005 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME A PIPER PA-28RT-201T, N2125N, COLLIDED WITH A BIRD SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF AT THE VANDENBERG AIRPORT, IN TAMPA, FLORIDA. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED BY THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91, AND VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED AND THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROTATION, A LARGE BIRD STRUCK THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE AND ENTERED INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENGINE STOPPED AND THE PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING INTO A ROUGH FIELD COLLAPSING THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND STRIKING A TREE WITH THE LEFT WING SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGING THE AIRPLANE. ACCORDING TO THE FAA, AFTER TAKEOFF AT ABOUT 500 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) ON CLIMB OUT THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A BIRD. THE IMPACT SEPARATED A FUEL LINE AND A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OCCURE D. THE AIRPLANE LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM RUNWAY 18. THE OWNER AND PILOT WERE SENT AN NTSB FORM 6120.1/2 PILOT/OPERATOR REPORT, BUT DID NOT RETURN IT. (-23) AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN AFTER TAKEOFF, AT APPROXIMATELY 500', WAS STRUCK BY A BIRD. THE IMPACT DAMAGED THE GASOLATOR AND ATTACHED FUEL LINE. THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES FROM VANDENBURG AIRPORT. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED BY THE PILOT OR PASSENGER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.