20211031020819A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172N · Stevensville, MD · October 31, 2021

Date: October 31, 2021 · 18:06 local
Place: Stevensville, MD
Airport: Bay Bridge Airport
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3HQ
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA22LA044
Reported as: Cessna 172N
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,825 total

N3HQRegistered now · Cessna 172NS/N 17269154 Airframe modelCessna 172N

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.

Aircraft was climbing through 100 feet during an overwater departure from runway 29 and struck a bird subsequently identified as a cormorant. The bird shattered the right half of the windshield and struck the instructor, who was pilot flying, in the face, causing minor injuries. The resulting opening in the front of the cabin caused a large increase in drag making the aircraft difficult to fly and barely able to maintain level flight. Despite this he was able to retain control of the aircraft and successfully landed.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS CLIMBING THROUGH 100 FEET DURING AN OVERWATER DEPARTURE FROM RUNWAY 29 AND STRUCK A BIRD SUBSEQUENTLY IDENTIFIED AS A CORMORANT. THE BIRD SHATTERED THE RIGHT HALF OF THE WINDSHIELD AND STRUCK THE INSTRUCTOR, WHO WAS PILOT FLYING, IN THE FACE, CAUSING MINOR INJURIES. THE RESULTING OPENING IN THE FRONT OF THE CABIN CAUSED A LARGE INCREASE IN DRAG MAKING THE AIRCRAFT DIFFICULT TO FLY AND BARELY ABLE TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT. DESPITE THIS HE WAS ABLE TO RETAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND SUCCESSFULLY LANDED.

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 ERA22LA044Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportStevensville, MDAn in-flight collision with a bird during initial climb.Oct 31, 2021 · Substantial damage