20130928021379I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Combs James Lee RV-10 · Lexington, KY · September 28, 2013

Date
September 28, 2013 · 14:32 local
Place
Lexington, KY
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N312F
Reported as
Combs James Lee RV-10
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-C4B5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1

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.

An experimental amateur built RV-10 aircraft was being flown just northeast of london, KY heading toward mt sterling in cruise flight at approx 3000 ft & 150 knots. Pilot stated when he saw a flock of turkey vultures he tried to avoid them but one impacted and went through the windshield. Taking out almost the entire windshield, going through the cabin and impacting the aft cabin bulkhead. It knocked off his glasses, and headset then cut his arm. Pilot was able to recover his spare set of glasses another headset and continue to fly the aircraft making a normal landing at the Lexington airport.

As the FAA filed it

AN EXPERIMENTAL AMATEUR BUILT RV-10 AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN JUST NORTHEAST OF LONDON, KY HEADING TOWARD MT STERLING IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT APPROX 3000 FT & 150 KNOTS. PILOT STATED WHEN HE SAW A FLOCK OF TURKEY VULTURES HE TRIED TO AVOID THEM BUT ONE IMPACTED AND WENT THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. TAKING OUT ALMOST THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD, GOING THROUGH THE CABIN AND IMPACTING THE AFT CABIN BULKHEAD. IT KNOCKED OFF HIS GLASSES, AND HEADSET THEN CUT HIS ARM. PILOT WAS ABLE TO RECOVER HIS SPARE SET OF GLASSES ANOTHER HEADSET AND CONTINUE TO FLY THE AIRCRAFT MAKING A NORMAL LANDING AT THE LEXINGTON AIRPORT.