OpenAirDocs.org

20140214002989I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · American AA-1A · Searchlight, NV · February 14, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
February 14, 2014 · 10:30 local
Place
Searchlight, NV
Airport
Searchlight
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N6361L
Reported as
American AA-1A
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-235 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N6361LRegistered now · American AA-1AS/N AA1A-0361 · Built 1972Airframe modelAmerican AA-1AEngine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

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.

At approximately 10:15A.m. on 2/14/20144, N63611 was cleared for takeoff on runway 35L at henderson

Executive airport and approved for a right downwind, southeast departure. Climb out was normal and the aircraft leveled off at 5500 feet MSL 7 miles southeast of henderson. Groundspeed cruise was 105 knots. Approximately 2 miles north of Searchlight, NV., pilot was scanning the horizon for other aircraft as per normal procedure. As pilot scanned from the left to the front, a flock of 5-6 birds were directly in front of the aircraft. A split second later, there was a loud bang as one of the birds hit the passenger side of the windshield. After the initial shock, pilot assessed his physical condition. Nothing had hit him other than some bird debris/blood. The aircraft was then assessed for damage and there was a huge gaping hole on the

Passenger side of the windshield and the remainder of the windshield was cracked and wobbly. The aircraft was slowed to 85MPH IAS (best glide speed) and turned direct to Searchlight Airport. Pilot then assessed the flight characteristics of the aircraft. Engine performance and gages were normal. All

Instruments were working and intact. The aircraft could climb and maintain altitude. With the latter knowledge, pilot made the decision to return to henderson airport cruising at 80-85 mph

Indicated airspeed. This speed had a minimal impact on the remainder of the windshield. Approximately 8 miles southeast of henderson airport, pilot called the tower and declared an emergency. The tower immediately cleared the aircraft to land on runway 35L. Landing was uneventful. Emergency vehicles were waiting and pilot taxied to the south shade hangar and shut down the engine.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 10:15A.M. ON 2/14/20144, N63611 WAS CLEARED FOR TAKEOFF ON RUNWAY 35L AT HENDERSON

EXECUTIVE AIRPORT AND APPROVED FOR A RIGHT DOWNWIND, SOUTHEAST DEPARTURE. CLIMB OUT WAS NORMAL AND THE AIRCRAFT LEVELED OFF AT 5500 FEET MSL 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HENDERSON. GROUNDSPEED CRUISE WAS 105 KNOTS. APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES NORTH OF SEARCHLIGHT, NV., PILOT WAS SCANNING THE HORIZON FOR OTHER AIRCRAFT AS PER NORMAL PROCEDURE. AS PILOT SCANNED FROM THE LEFT TO THE FRONT, A FLOCK OF 5-6 BIRDS WERE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. A SPLIT SECOND LATER, THERE WAS A LOUD BANG AS ONE OF THE BIRDS HIT THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. AFTER THE INITIAL SHOCK, PILOT ASSESSED HIS PHYSICAL CONDITION. NOTHING HAD HIT HIM OTHER THAN SOME BIRD DEBRIS/BLOOD. THE AIRCRAFT WAS THEN ASSESSED FOR DAMAGE AND THERE WAS A HUGE GAPING HOLE ON THE

PASSENGER SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND THE REMAINDER OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS CRACKED AND WOBBLY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWED TO 85MPH IAS (BEST GLIDE SPEED) AND TURNED DIRECT TO SEARCHLIGHT AIRPORT. PILOT THEN ASSESSED THE FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF THE AIRCRAFT. ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND GAGES WERE NORMAL. ALL

INSTRUMENTS WERE WORKING AND INTACT. THE AIRCRAFT COULD CLIMB AND MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. WITH THE LATTER KNOWLEDGE, PILOT MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO HENDERSON AIRPORT CRUISING AT 80-85 MPH

INDICATED AIRSPEED. THIS SPEED HAD A MINIMAL IMPACT ON THE REMAINDER OF THE WINDSHIELD. APPROXIMATELY 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HENDERSON AIRPORT, PILOT CALLED THE TOWER AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE TOWER IMMEDIATELY CLEARED THE AIRCRAFT TO LAND ON RUNWAY 35L. LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL. EMERGENCY VEHICLES WERE WAITING AND PILOT TAXIED TO THE SOUTH SHADE HANGAR AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE.