20130526009989I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32-301 · Ocean City, NJ · May 26, 2013

Date: May 26, 2013 · 18:00 local
Place: Ocean City, NJ
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N356VA
Reported as: Piper PA-32-301
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 588 total98 in this make and model58 in the last 90 days

N356VARegistered now · Piper PA-32-301S/N 32-8206008 · Built 1981 Airframe modelPiper PA-32-301 Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Aircraft was on approach at 26N, runway 24.

A Canada goose appeared in the left side of the wind screen and struck it, bouncing off the aircraft to the left. The pilots vision was obscured by the bird, and he discontinued the approach and did a go around. He executed the go around without any loss of control. The pilot continued the approach to runway 24, and landed without incident, and taxied to the ramp. Once parked on the ramp, the damage to the aircraft was inspected by the pilot and airport personnel. The vertical stabilizer and rudder appeared damaged. An A&P mechanic was contacted and inspected the aircraft on 05-27-2013 and determined that the rudder and vertical stabilizer would need to be repaired before the aircraft could be flown. The rudder was removed for repairs at the mechanics shop.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS ON APPROACH AT 26N, RUNWAY 24.

A CANADA GOOSE APPEARED IN THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WIND SCREEN AND STRUCK IT, BOUNCING OFF THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT. THE PILOTS VISION WAS OBSCURED BY THE BIRD, AND HE DISCONTINUED THE APPROACH AND DID A GO AROUND. HE EXECUTED THE GO AROUND WITHOUT ANY LOSS OF CONTROL. THE PILOT CONTINUED THE APPROACH TO RUNWAY 24, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP. ONCE PARKED ON THE RAMP, THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED BY THE PILOT AND AIRPORT PERSONNEL. THE VERTICAL STABILIZER AND RUDDER APPEARED DAMAGED. AN A&P MECHANIC WAS CONTACTED AND INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT ON 05-27-2013 AND DETERMINED THAT THE RUDDER AND VERTICAL STABILIZER WOULD NEED TO BE REPAIRED BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT COULD BE FLOWN. THE RUDDER WAS REMOVED FOR REPAIRS AT THE MECHANICS SHOP.