What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 20, 2017, the pilot and student took off to practice for CFI single-engine check ride from Deer valley airport in Phoenix, AZ (kdvt).
The airplane which was taken was a Piper PA-28R-201, arrow, registrtion number N962WW. There were two person on board, a CFI student and a flight instructor. They took off about 4PM from Phoenix Deer Valley Airport and headed north-west to the practice area. When they got between lake pleasant marina and the state prison, they descended down to practice pylon turns. They checked wind direction first which was from south and choose two pylon perpendicular to that wind. During these turn maneuvers, their scanning sequence was outside right, forward, pitch(relation to horizon), then left and pylon(line of sight), then instrument. The bird strike happened when they were turning left pylon from downwind about 3/4 point of pylon. They were maintaining 30 degree bank angle, 2,400 feet MSL. Their eyes were moving from forward to left at that moment. When their eyes moved to left wing side, they saw the bird and the bird struck left wing. After left wing struck by bird, they maintained straight-level attitude right away and inspect left wing where the bird struck. Upper side leading edge of left wing near wing tip dented. And they confirmed airplane still have adequate lift and didn't feel any control different such as buffet. They decided to go back to Deer valley airport and the instructor took the controls. Meanwhile, they kept checking the aircraft control feel, whether there is unusual control difference and also inspect dented area whether damage was getting worse. They landed safety with no control problems at Deer valley (kdvt).
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 20, 2017, THE PILOT AND STUDENT TOOK OFF TO PRACTICE FOR CFI SINGLE-ENGINE CHECK RIDE FROM DEER VALLEY AIRPORT IN PHOENIX, AZ (KDVT).
THE AIRPLANE WHICH WAS TAKEN WAS A PIPER PA-28R-201, ARROW, REGISTRTION NUMBER N962WW. THERE WERE TWO PERSON ON BOARD, A CFI STUDENT AND A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. THEY TOOK OFF ABOUT 4PM FROM PHOENIX DEER VALLEY AIRPORT AND HEADED NORTH-WEST TO THE PRACTICE AREA. WHEN THEY GOT BETWEEN LAKE PLEASANT MARINA AND THE STATE PRISON, THEY DESCENDED DOWN TO PRACTICE PYLON TURNS. THEY CHECKED WIND DIRECTION FIRST WHICH WAS FROM SOUTH AND CHOOSE TWO PYLON PERPENDICULAR TO THAT WIND. DURING THESE TURN MANEUVERS, THEIR SCANNING SEQUENCE WAS OUTSIDE RIGHT, FORWARD, PITCH(RELATION TO HORIZON), THEN LEFT AND PYLON(LINE OF SIGHT), THEN INSTRUMENT. THE BIRD STRIKE HAPPENED WHEN THEY WERE TURNING LEFT PYLON FROM DOWNWIND ABOUT 3/4 POINT OF PYLON. THEY WERE MAINTAINING 30 DEGREE BANK ANGLE, 2,400 FEET MSL. THEIR EYES WERE MOVING FROM FORWARD TO LEFT AT THAT MOMENT. WHEN THEIR EYES MOVED TO LEFT WING SIDE, THEY SAW THE BIRD AND THE BIRD STRUCK LEFT WING. AFTER LEFT WING STRUCK BY BIRD, THEY MAINTAINED STRAIGHT-LEVEL ATTITUDE RIGHT AWAY AND INSPECT LEFT WING WHERE THE BIRD STRUCK. UPPER SIDE LEADING EDGE OF LEFT WING NEAR WING TIP DENTED. AND THEY CONFIRMED AIRPLANE STILL HAVE ADEQUATE LIFT AND DIDN'T FEEL ANY CONTROL DIFFERENT SUCH AS BUFFET. THEY DECIDED TO GO BACK TO DEER VALLEY AIRPORT AND THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS. MEANWHILE, THEY KEPT CHECKING THE AIRCRAFT CONTROL FEEL, WHETHER THERE IS UNUSUAL CONTROL DIFFERENCE AND ALSO INSPECT DENTED AREA WHETHER DAMAGE WAS GETTING WORSE. THEY LANDED SAFETY WITH NO CONTROL PROBLEMS AT DEER VALLEY (KDVT).
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.