What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot stated while on approach into Flagler County Airport (kxfl) for a landing on runway 06 on October 26, 2013 while on his base leg ready to turn final he saw several large birds believed to be turkey vultures in the area. While turning to his final appraoch at about 120 knots he saw a bird up close but could not avoid it. It appeared to dive into the aircraft from above. The bird initially hit the antenna mounted on top of the fuselage just behind the windshield and then continued to travel aft to the left and hit the v-tail leading edge structure within 18 inches of where it mounts to the side of the fuselage. No damage was found on the moveable tail feathers, it was strickly contained to the leading edge area. The damage was approximately 20 inches long and 3.5 inches in depth. The skin was wrinkled all the way back to the forward spar on the bottom side and also wrinkled the fluted skin between the front and aft spars. The top skin was compressed with an inspection plate partially removed with a bird feather still attached. The skin was damaged all the way to the first rib outboard of the fuselage with damage to the rib itself.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT STATED WHILE ON APPROACH INTO FLAGLER COUNTY AIRPORT (KXFL) FOR A LANDING ON RUNWAY 06 ON OCTOBER 26, 2013 WHILE ON HIS BASE LEG READY TO TURN FINAL HE SAW SEVERAL LARGE BIRDS BELIEVED TO BE TURKEY VULTURES IN THE AREA. WHILE TURNING TO HIS FINAL APPRAOCH AT ABOUT 120 KNOTS HE SAW A BIRD UP CLOSE BUT COULD NOT AVOID IT. IT APPEARED TO DIVE INTO THE AIRCRAFT FROM ABOVE. THE BIRD INITIALLY HIT THE ANTENNA MOUNTED ON TOP OF THE FUSELAGE JUST BEHIND THE WINDSHIELD AND THEN CONTINUED TO TRAVEL AFT TO THE LEFT AND HIT THE V-TAIL LEADING EDGE STRUCTURE WITHIN 18 INCHES OF WHERE IT MOUNTS TO THE SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE. NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE MOVEABLE TAIL FEATHERS, IT WAS STRICKLY CONTAINED TO THE LEADING EDGE AREA. THE DAMAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 20 INCHES LONG AND 3.5 INCHES IN DEPTH. THE SKIN WAS WRINKLED ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE FORWARD SPAR ON THE BOTTOM SIDE AND ALSO WRINKLED THE FLUTED SKIN BETWEEN THE FRONT AND AFT SPARS. THE TOP SKIN WAS COMPRESSED WITH AN INSPECTION PLATE PARTIALLY REMOVED WITH A BIRD FEATHER STILL ATTACHED. THE SKIN WAS DAMAGED ALL THE WAY TO THE FIRST RIB OUTBOARD OF THE FUSELAGE WITH DAMAGE TO THE RIB ITSELF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.