What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 15, 2019 at 2337 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200 aircraft, N404SE, registered to a 14 code of federal regulation (CFR) part 141 flight school and operated by a private pilot rated student and flight instructor received minor damage following a deer strike while attempting to land at south haven regional airport (lwa), south haven, Michigan. Night time visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident. The instructional flight was being conducted under the provisions of title 14 (CFR) part 141 with flight following. The pilot, instructor, and passenger were uninjured. The local flight originated from the andrews university airpark (C20), berrien Springs, Michigan.
According to the flight instructor the pilot was approaching runway 23 at south haven airport. At approximately 2130 eastern standard time, just short of touchdown, the pilot and instructor heard a large bang against the forward portion of the aircraft. To the instructor, this sounded as if the aircraft nose gear had touched early on landing. Following impact the pilot applied power to regain altitude and initiated a go-around. During troubleshooting procedures it was found the nose gear would not show a safe indication and it was decided to return to andrews airpark following consultation with maintenance personnel. Local fire and medical were placed on standby at the airport. During landing the nose gear still showed an unsafe condition and did not deploy. The aircraft landed with only the main gear down coming to rest on the runway approximately 100 yards from initial touchdown point. The pilot, instructor, and rear seat passenger egressed from the aircraft unaided.
It was later determined by evidence, the aircraft had struck a deer on the runway at south haven damaging the nose landing gear to the point it would no longer deploy.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 15, 2019 AT 2337 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28R-200 AIRCRAFT, N404SE, REGISTERED TO A 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATION (CFR) PART 141 FLIGHT SCHOOL AND OPERATED BY A PRIVATE PILOT RATED STUDENT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE FOLLOWING A DEER STRIKE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT SOUTH HAVEN REGIONAL AIRPORT (LWA), SOUTH HAVEN, MICHIGAN. NIGHT TIME VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 (CFR) PART 141 WITH FLIGHT FOLLOWING. THE PILOT, INSTRUCTOR, AND PASSENGER WERE UNINJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE ANDREWS UNIVERSITY AIRPARK (C20), BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICHIGAN.
ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR THE PILOT WAS APPROACHING RUNWAY 23 AT SOUTH HAVEN AIRPORT. AT APPROXIMATELY 2130 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, JUST SHORT OF TOUCHDOWN, THE PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR HEARD A LARGE BANG AGAINST THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. TO THE INSTRUCTOR, THIS SOUNDED AS IF THE AIRCRAFT NOSE GEAR HAD TOUCHED EARLY ON LANDING. FOLLOWING IMPACT THE PILOT APPLIED POWER TO REGAIN ALTITUDE AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND. DURING TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES IT WAS FOUND THE NOSE GEAR WOULD NOT SHOW A SAFE INDICATION AND IT WAS DECIDED TO RETURN TO ANDREWS AIRPARK FOLLOWING CONSULTATION WITH MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. LOCAL FIRE AND MEDICAL WERE PLACED ON STANDBY AT THE AIRPORT. DURING LANDING THE NOSE GEAR STILL SHOWED AN UNSAFE CONDITION AND DID NOT DEPLOY. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH ONLY THE MAIN GEAR DOWN COMING TO REST ON THE RUNWAY APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS FROM INITIAL TOUCHDOWN POINT. THE PILOT, INSTRUCTOR, AND REAR SEAT PASSENGER EGRESSED FROM THE AIRCRAFT UNAIDED.
IT WAS LATER DETERMINED BY EVIDENCE, THE AIRCRAFT HAD STRUCK A DEER ON THE RUNWAY AT SOUTH HAVEN DAMAGING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR TO THE POINT IT WOULD NO LONGER DEPLOY.
Other reports on N404SE · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.