20161120023359A

AT APPROXIMATELY 1950 ZULU, ON NOVEMBER 20, 2016, INSPECTOR HENKEL RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE FAA?S REGIONAL OPERATION CENTER (ROC) NOTIFYING HIM OF AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT AT MARK ANTON AIRPORT (2A0), DAYTON, TENNESSEE, INVOLVING N4331R, A CESSNA 172. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION INDICATED THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS THE RESULT OF THE PILOT LOSING CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AFTER STRIKING A DEER ON THE RUNWAY WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 21. HE WAS THE AIRCRAFT?S SOLE OCCUPANT AND WAS UNHARMED IN THE ACCIDENT. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT 1915 ZULU.

THE 2A0 AIRPORT MANAGER, WANDA FULMER, WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO CONTACT THE FAA CONCERNING THE ACCIDENT. SHE MENTIONED THAT SHE TOOK SEVERAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE MOVING IT FROM THE GRASSY AREA NEXT TO THE RUNWAY OVER TO THE AIRPORT?S RAMP AREA. SHE STATED THAT THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT?S LEFT WINGTIP, A COLLAPSED NOSE GEAR, AND PROPELLER DAMAGE FROM STRIKING THE RUNWAY.

INSPECTOR HENKEL REQUESTED THAT MS. FULMER FORWARD HIM THE PHOTOGRAPHS SHE TOOK AND THAT SHE NOT MOVE THE AIRCRAFT OR ALLOW IT TO BE MOVED FROM THE RAMP AREA UNTIL A DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE ABOUT WHETHER TO SEND AN INSPECTOR OUT TO EXAMINE THE WRECKAGE.

AT APPROXIMATELY 2105 ZULU, PERSONNEL FROM THE ROC COORDINATED A PHONE CALL BETWEEN INSPECTOR HENKEL, THE PILOT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, AND THE AIRCRAFT OWNER, J^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE PILOT DESCRIBED THE ACCIDENT AS FOLLOWS:

HE WAS CONDUCTING A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN ISLAND AIRPORT (DKX) TO 2A0. HE FILED A FLIGHT PLAN AND OBTAINED FLIGHT FOLLOWING FROM AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC). THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL THE ARRIVAL AT 2A0. HE ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN VIA A TEARDROP APPROACH TO OBSERVE THE AIRPORT?S WINDSOCK. HE NOTED A CROSSWIND, AND ELECTED TO LAND ON RUNWAY 21. UPON ENTERING THE FLARE, HE NOTICED A DEER RUNNING TOWARD HIS AIRCRAFT FROM THE LEFT SIDE. HE TRIED TO POWER UP TO AVOID STRIKING IT, BUT ASSUMED THE NOSEWHEEL MUST HAVE STILL MADE CONTACT WITH IT DESPITE HIS EFFORTS BECAUSE THE LEFT WING DIPPED VIOLENTLY ENOUGH TO TOUCH THE GROUND. HE QUICKLY TRIED TO RIGHT THE AIRCRAFT FROM ITS UNUSUAL ATTITUDE, BUT WASN?T ABLE TO PREVENT THE NOSEWHEEL FROM SLAMMING INTO THE GROUND AND COLLAPSING. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ESTIMATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SKIDDED DOWN THE RUNWAY FOR ABOUT 350 FEET AFTER THE NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSED BEFORE IT CAME TO REST JUST OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THE DEER WAS NEVER FOUND.

INSPECTOR HENKEL ASKED WHAT GRADE OF PILOT CERTIFICATE THE PILOT HELD AND CONFIRMED THAT HE WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HELD A STUDENT PILOT CERTIFICATE AND THAT HE WAS INDEED THE SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE AIRCRAFT. INSPECTOR HENKEL THEN ASKED THE PILOT WHO HIS FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS THAT ENDORSED HIM FOR THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT. HE REPLIED THAT IT WAS THE AIRCRAFT OWNER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. INSPECTOR HENKEL REQUESTED THAT THE PILOT FORWARD COPIES OF HIS PILOT LOGBOOK AND THAT THE AIRCRAFT OWNER FORWARD COPIES OF THE AIRCRAFT?S LOGBOOKS.

ON NOVEMBER 21, 2016, INSPECTOR DAVIDSON WAS DISPATCHED TO 2A0 TO EXAMINE THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE. HE REPORTED TO INSPECTOR HENKEL THAT THE AIRCRAFT?S FIREWALL WAS CRACKED, THE SKIN HAD BUCKLED AROUND THE DOOR JAMBS, AND THAT THE WINGTIP DAMAGE EXTENDED INTO THE WING RIBS. HE STATED THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AN ANIMAL STRIKE. INSPECTOR DAVIDSON NOTED THAT THERE WAS RUNWAY EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL COLLAPSED WHEN THE AIRCRAFT FIRST MADE CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY BUT DIDN?T DEPART FROM THE AIRCRAFT UNTIL WITHIN A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET OF WHERE THE AIRCRAFT FINALLY CAME TO REST.