What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N35851, a Cessna 206 operated by fred hodson was involved in a bird strike involving a loon. Loon struck and shattered the right side of the wind screen and continued into the cabin of the aircraft, striking the co-pilot seat and continuing through to the passanger seat directly behind the co-pilot seat. Co-pilot seat and pax seat both came off of seat track due to impact. Pilot was able to return to point of origin and land without incident. Pilot was the only person on board, and damage appears to be limited to the wind screen and the two seats that the bird impacted. The bird was in a dive and it's flight path took it directly into the wind screen, without coming in contact with the propeller. After landing the bird was weighed at 9 pounds. Pilot stated that his airspeed was approximately 130KIAS at the time of impact.
As the FAA filed it
N35851, A CESSNA 206 OPERATED BY FRED HODSON WAS INVOLVED IN A BIRD STRIKE INVOLVING A LOON. LOON STRUCK AND SHATTERED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WIND SCREEN AND CONTINUED INTO THE CABIN OF THE AIRCRAFT, STRIKING THE CO-PILOT SEAT AND CONTINUING THROUGH TO THE PASSANGER SEAT DIRECTLY BEHIND THE CO-PILOT SEAT. CO-PILOT SEAT AND PAX SEAT BOTH CAME OFF OF SEAT TRACK DUE TO IMPACT. PILOT WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO POINT OF ORIGIN AND LAND WITHOUT INCIDENT. PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ON BOARD, AND DAMAGE APPEARS TO BE LIMITED TO THE WIND SCREEN AND THE TWO SEATS THAT THE BIRD IMPACTED. THE BIRD WAS IN A DIVE AND IT'S FLIGHT PATH TOOK IT DIRECTLY INTO THE WIND SCREEN, WITHOUT COMING IN CONTACT WITH THE PROPELLER. AFTER LANDING THE BIRD WAS WEIGHED AT 9 POUNDS. PILOT STATED THAT HIS AIRSPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 130KIAS AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N35851 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.