What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
During a night instruction cross country flight from (vrb) to (tix) made a full stop landing in Titusville, requesting continued pattern work at the airport. The aircraft initially landed on runway 9 and was instructed to proceed back to RW9, on departure the student began to rotate, for lift off as they noticed an animal directly in front of the PA-28 aircraft. The instructor then exchanged the controls from the student and pitched the aircraft to expedite the climb to avoid the deer as it was later determined. They stated to hear a loud bang, however all indications appeard normal with no power loss. The aircraft continued its climb & made several low passes to determine if any visible damage could be detected. The aircraft remained in the traffic pattern until emergency vehicles could arrive. During this time it appeared the left gear sustained damage and was missing. The plane was instructed to land on runway 36. On final the aircraft touched down, but on ground roll the left wing struck the ground & drifted from the centerline about 30 feet. No injuries were sustained as all crew members evacuated the plane. Upon my inspection found the left gear torn completely free from the spar cap, with other damage limited & minimal to the wing tip, stabilator underside, left flap buckling and minor scraping to the underside aileron.
As the FAA filed it
DURING A NIGHT INSTRUCTION CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM (VRB) TO (TIX) MADE A FULL STOP LANDING IN TITUSVILLE, REQUESTING CONTINUED PATTERN WORK AT THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT INITIALLY LANDED ON RUNWAY 9 AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED BACK TO RW9, ON DEPARTURE THE STUDENT BEGAN TO ROTATE, FOR LIFT OFF AS THEY NOTICED AN ANIMAL DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE PA-28 AIRCRAFT. THE INSTRUCTOR THEN EXCHANGED THE CONTROLS FROM THE STUDENT AND PITCHED THE AIRCRAFT TO EXPEDITE THE CLIMB TO AVOID THE DEER AS IT WAS LATER DETERMINED. THEY STATED TO HEAR A LOUD BANG, HOWEVER ALL INDICATIONS APPEARD NORMAL WITH NO POWER LOSS. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ITS CLIMB & MADE SEVERAL LOW PASSES TO DETERMINE IF ANY VISIBLE DAMAGE COULD BE DETECTED. THE AIRCRAFT REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN UNTIL EMERGENCY VEHICLES COULD ARRIVE. DURING THIS TIME IT APPEARED THE LEFT GEAR SUSTAINED DAMAGE AND WAS MISSING. THE PLANE WAS INSTRUCTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 36. ON FINAL THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN, BUT ON GROUND ROLL THE LEFT WING STRUCK THE GROUND & DRIFTED FROM THE CENTERLINE ABOUT 30 FEET. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED AS ALL CREW MEMBERS EVACUATED THE PLANE. UPON MY INSPECTION FOUND THE LEFT GEAR TORN COMPLETELY FREE FROM THE SPAR CAP, WITH OTHER DAMAGE LIMITED & MINIMAL TO THE WING TIP, STABILATOR UNDERSIDE, LEFT FLAP BUCKLING AND MINOR SCRAPING TO THE UNDERSIDE AILERON.
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 N9247V · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.