20200802014109A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172S · San Jose, CA · August 2, 2020

Date: August 2, 2020 · 10:17 local
Place: San Jose, CA
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N55231
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR20LA256
Reported as: Cessna 172S
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,350 total

N55231Registered now · Cessna 172SS/N 172S11414 · Built 2014 Airframe modelCessna 172S Engine modelLycoming IO-360-L2AReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

San Jose, CA (rhv): N55231, C172, rhvorig rptd as bird strike downwind RWY31R.

Data was removed from the garmin G1000. Data tracks were removed and laid out using google earth, the pilot identified the approximate area on the chart of the impact. Ground crew were sent to search the area where they found a large dead bird with a nearly 6 foot wing span with 5 inch talons.

As the FAA filed it

SAN JOSE, CA (RHV): N55231, C172, RHVORIG RPTD AS BIRD STRIKE DOWNWIND RWY31R.

DATA WAS REMOVED FROM THE GARMIN G1000. DATA TRACKS WERE REMOVED AND LAID OUT USING GOOGLE EARTH, THE PILOT IDENTIFIED THE APPROXIMATE AREA ON THE CHART OF THE IMPACT. GROUND CREW WERE SENT TO SEARCH THE AREA WHERE THEY FOUND A LARGE DEAD BIRD WITH A NEARLY 6 FOOT WING SPAN WITH 5 INCH TALONS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB WPR20LA256Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportSan Jose, CAThe airplane’s collision with a bird while maneuvering in the airport traffic pattern.Aug 2, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N55231 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20260611005979AManeuver · San Jose, CAAs the flight arrived in the practice area, one eights-on-pylons maneuver was completed before repositioning to new pylons slightly north of the aircraft’s location. While turning left to re-enter the maneuver from the northwest, a large black bird was…Jun 11, 2026 · Substantial damage