# Incident 20180125001179I: Cessna 172M, Fort Smith, AR, January 25, 2018

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 25, 2018, 15:00 local time
- Place: Fort Smith, AR
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.3859° N, 94.3985° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Fort Smith, AR, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.3859&lon=-94.3985&mi=10
- Aircraft: N21535, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N21535) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172M (registry code 2072418, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172M
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 18,000 total, 11,200 in this make and model, 48 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180125001179I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON JANUARY 25, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 15:00 CST, N21535 A CESSNA 172M AIRCRAFT, REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT SUSTAINED A BIRD STRIKE TO THE TOP OF LEFT WING WHILE ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 19 AT FORT SMITH, AR AIRPORT (FSM).  ON APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT TWO LARGE BIRDS WERE OBSERVED BY THE PILOT, ONE BIRD VEERED TO RIGHT CLEAR OF THE AIRCRAFT AND THE OTHER CONTINUED ON AN INTERSECTING COURSE TO THE AIRCRAFT, UPON RECOGNITION OF THE AIRCRAFT THE SECOND BIRD MADE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER.  THE PILOT AT THAT TIME ALSO MADE AN EVASIVE MANEUVER DIPPING THE LEFT WING, THE BIRD IMPACTED THE TOP OF LEFT WING WITH A GLANCING BLOW.  THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SUCCESSFUL LANDING AT FORT SMITH (FSM), POST FLIGHT INSPECTION REVEALED NO INDICATION OF IMPACT TO THE TOP OF WING. AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT THERE WERE NO BIRD ALERTS FROM ATC. THE TWO OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE NOT INJURED.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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