What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was touching down for the last landing of his first solo flight. After touch down a deer ran onto the runway. The pilot had already began applying brakes in preparation of taxiing off the runway. When the deer stopped in front of him he decided to go around. Upon applying full power and lifting back off he made an abrupt right turn away from the deer and the runway (approximately 80 degrees heading change). The pilot made his climb out in this direction barely clearing a line of trees. Following those trees was a creek and increasing terrain lined with trees. The pilot believed he would not clear the next line of trees and opted to make a steep banking descent to align with and land in the creek.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS TOUCHING DOWN FOR THE LAST LANDING OF HIS FIRST SOLO FLIGHT. AFTER TOUCH DOWN A DEER RAN ONTO THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT HAD ALREADY BEGAN APPLYING BRAKES IN PREPARATION OF TAXIING OFF THE RUNWAY. WHEN THE DEER STOPPED IN FRONT OF HIM HE DECIDED TO GO AROUND. UPON APPLYING FULL POWER AND LIFTING BACK OFF HE MADE AN ABRUPT RIGHT TURN AWAY FROM THE DEER AND THE RUNWAY (APPROXIMATELY 80 DEGREES HEADING CHANGE). THE PILOT MADE HIS CLIMB OUT IN THIS DIRECTION BARELY CLEARING A LINE OF TREES. FOLLOWING THOSE TREES WAS A CREEK AND INCREASING TERRAIN LINED WITH TREES. THE PILOT BELIEVED HE WOULD NOT CLEAR THE NEXT LINE OF TREES AND OPTED TO MAKE A STEEP BANKING DESCENT TO ALIGN WITH AND LAND IN THE CREEK.
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 N18228 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.