What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 13th, 2010, at approximately 2010 local time (0110 UTC), a certified flight instructor (CFI) was involved in an aircraft incident while conducting an instructional night cross-country flight under visual flight rules (VFR) to salina municipal airport (ksln), salina, Kansas. The aircraft involved in this incident is a Cessna CE-172-R, owned and operated by Kansas state university – salina, a 14 CFR part 141 pilot school. The CFI was providing dual flight instruction to the private certificated and instrument rated student. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed along the entire route of flight. Just prior to the incident, the CFI and student pilot were in cruise flight on a westerly heading, just over Herington, Kansas, approximately 45 nautical miles east of salina. Per the cfi's written statement, both crewmembers recall hearing something impact the engine cowling area; the student pilot states that a white flash was observed upon hearing the impact. The CFI and student pilot believed that the engine had backfired; however, upon inspection of the aircraft's engine instrumentation, all indications appeared normal. No additional abnormalities were observed. Upon a thorough evaluation of the aircraft's engine and flight characteristics, the CFI determined that the night VFR cross-country could continue on to salina, the final destination. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. During a post-flight inspection, minor damage to the leading edge of the right wing root was noted, resulting from a bird strike. The aircraft was subsequently inspected by the pilot school's director of maintenance to assess the minor damage. No injuries reported as a result of this incident.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 13TH, 2010, AT APPROXIMATELY 2010 LOCAL TIME (0110 UTC), A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIRCRAFT INCIDENT WHILE CONDUCTING AN INSTRUCTIONAL NIGHT CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) TO SALINA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KSLN), SALINA, KANSAS. THE AIRCRAFT INVOLVED IN THIS INCIDENT IS A CESSNA CE-172-R, OWNED AND OPERATED BY KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY – SALINA, A 14 CFR PART 141 PILOT SCHOOL. THE CFI WAS PROVIDING DUAL FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO THE PRIVATE CERTIFICATED AND INSTRUMENT RATED STUDENT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) PREVAILED ALONG THE ENTIRE ROUTE OF FLIGHT. JUST PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, THE CFI AND STUDENT PILOT WERE IN CRUISE FLIGHT ON A WESTERLY HEADING, JUST OVER HERINGTON, KANSAS, APPROXIMATELY 45 NAUTICAL MILES EAST OF SALINA. PER THE CFI'S WRITTEN STATEMENT, BOTH CREWMEMBERS RECALL HEARING SOMETHING IMPACT THE ENGINE COWLING AREA; THE STUDENT PILOT STATES THAT A WHITE FLASH WAS OBSERVED UPON HEARING THE IMPACT. THE CFI AND STUDENT PILOT BELIEVED THAT THE ENGINE HAD BACKFIRED; HOWEVER, UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE INSTRUMENTATION, ALL INDICATIONS APPEARED NORMAL. NO ADDITIONAL ABNORMALITIES WERE OBSERVED. UPON A THOROUGH EVALUATION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE AND FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS, THE CFI DETERMINED THAT THE NIGHT VFR CROSS-COUNTRY COULD CONTINUE ON TO SALINA, THE FINAL DESTINATION. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING A POST-FLIGHT INSPECTION, MINOR DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING ROOT WAS NOTED, RESULTING FROM A BIRD STRIKE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY INSPECTED BY THE PILOT SCHOOL'S DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE TO ASSESS THE MINOR DAMAGE. NO INJURIES REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT.