# Accident 20191111021019A: Symphony Aircraft Ind Inc SA 160, Fitzgerald, GA, November 11, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 11, 2019, 19:15 local time
- Place: Fitzgerald, GA
- Airport: Fitzgerald Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.6839° N, 83.2708° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.6839&lon=-83.2708&mi=10
- Aircraft: N844SA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N844SA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Symphony Aircraft Ind SA 160 (registry code 05619SU, https://openairdocs.org/model/symphony-aircraft-ind-sa-160) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-320-D2A (registry code 42150, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-320-d2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SYMPHONY AIRCRAFT IND INC SA 160
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-320-D2A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 178 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA20CA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA20CA080) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191111021019A

## Narrative

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

ON MONDAY NOVEMBER 11, 2019, AT APPROXIMATELY 7:15 P.M. EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A 2006 SYMPHONY, MODEL SA 160 WITH REGISTRATION N844SA SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF STRIKING A DEER UP LANDING AT THE FITZGERALD MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KFZG) IN FITZGERALD, GEORGIA. THERE WAS ONE PERSON ON BOARD WITH NO INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THIS WAS A PERSONAL FLIGHT BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91.

ON WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2019 AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE ATLANTA FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE (FSDO), TRAVELLED TO THE DOUGLAS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT TO PERFORM AN ASSESSMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE AND TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.  ONCE ON SCENE THE FAA INSPECTOR WAS MET BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WHO STATED THAT UPON LANDING ON RUNWAY 02 A DEER RAN ACROSS THE RUNWAY FROM RIGHT TO LEFT AND STUCK THE AIRCRAFT BEHIND THE PROP AND UNDER THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLING. THE PIC STATED THAT ALL RUNWAY AND AIRPORT LIGHTS WERE IN WORKING CONDITION AND WERE NOT A FACTOR. INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE DAMAGE REVEALED A LARGE DENT ON THE LOWER SECTION OF THE RIGHT SIDE ENGINE COWLING AND A LARGE GOUGE IN THE NOSE CONE.  THERE WERE SCRAPE MARKS ON THE PROPELLER BUT IT WAS NOT BENT.  ONCE THE ENGINE COWLINGS WERE REMOVED, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT DENT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE FIREWALL AND THE AFT ENGINE MOUNT.

AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFIELD REVEALED SEVERAL AREAS OF THE RUNWAY THAT WERE NOT COMPLETELY FENCED AND COULD ALLOW WILDLIFE TO FREELY ENTER THE LANDING AREA. DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AIRPORT MANAGER HE STATED THAT THE LACK OF FUNDING IN RECENT YEARS HAS PREVENTED THE AIRPORT FROM INSTALLING THE APPROPRIATE FENCING NEEDED TO KEEP WILDLIFE AWAY FROM THE AIRFIELD.  THE MANAGER STATED THAT IT IS HIS GOAL TO SAVE A PERCENTAGE OF HIS FEDERAL FUNDS EACH YEAR UNTIL ENOUGH FUNDS CAN BE ACCUMULATED TO INSTALL THE PROPER FENCING NEEDED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB GAA20CA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA20CA080), Nov 12, 2019: Symphony Aircraft Ind SA (N844SA), Fitzgerald, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The airplane’s impact with a deer while landing.

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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