What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated to NTSB during a phone call on 1/19/2022:
The individual noted above provided the following information via a telephone call. The below contents are a summary of what was reported:
- On final approach, the airplane was stabilized, and the approach speed was about 70 mph, which was about 10 mph faster than normal. He planned to carry the extra speed because of a ?strong north wind.?
- About ¼ mile from touchdown, he glanced down at the airspeed indicator, and then glanced up and ?all of a sudden? A flock of birds flew into the airplane. He said it was ?like a wall? Or like a ?machine gun? Going off in his flight path. He said the birds collided with the airplane and after that point he ?was a passenger?. He recalled the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall and spin and subsequently descended and impacted trees and terrain.
- He reported that privacy data omittedthere were no mechanical problems with the airplane at any point during the flight.
- The flight departed Angier, NC airport, which was his home airport. It was a local flight the lasted about one hour in duration. He had practiced air work earlier in the flight.
- He reported he sustained serious injuries.
End of conversation.
Witness statements taken on the day of the accident confirms the birds hitting the aircraft and the aircraft going into the trees after that. Witness stated that the plane was flying upright before the collision and the plane landed upright after it fell to the ground after it went into the trees.
For the FAA nine responsibilities all "no" was selected due to the birds being unavoidable on short final.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED TO NTSB DURING A PHONE CALL ON 1/19/2022:
THE INDIVIDUAL NOTED ABOVE PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION VIA A TELEPHONE CALL. THE BELOW CONTENTS ARE A SUMMARY OF WHAT WAS REPORTED:
- ON FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE WAS STABILIZED, AND THE APPROACH SPEED WAS ABOUT 70 MPH, WHICH WAS ABOUT 10 MPH FASTER THAN NORMAL. HE PLANNED TO CARRY THE EXTRA SPEED BECAUSE OF A ?STRONG NORTH WIND.?
- ABOUT ¼ MILE FROM TOUCHDOWN, HE GLANCED DOWN AT THE AIRSPEED INDICATOR, AND THEN GLANCED UP AND ?ALL OF A SUDDEN? A FLOCK OF BIRDS FLEW INTO THE AIRPLANE. HE SAID IT WAS ?LIKE A WALL? OR LIKE A ?MACHINE GUN? GOING OFF IN HIS FLIGHT PATH. HE SAID THE BIRDS COLLIDED WITH THE AIRPLANE AND AFTER THAT POINT HE ?WAS A PASSENGER?. HE RECALLED THE AIRPLANE ENTERED AN AERODYNAMIC STALL AND SPIN AND SUBSEQUENTLY DESCENDED AND IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN.
- HE REPORTED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE AT ANY POINT DURING THE FLIGHT.
- THE FLIGHT DEPARTED ANGIER, NC AIRPORT, WHICH WAS HIS HOME AIRPORT. IT WAS A LOCAL FLIGHT THE LASTED ABOUT ONE HOUR IN DURATION. HE HAD PRACTICED AIR WORK EARLIER IN THE FLIGHT.
- HE REPORTED HE SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES.
END OF CONVERSATION.
WITNESS STATEMENTS TAKEN ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT CONFIRMS THE BIRDS HITTING THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT GOING INTO THE TREES AFTER THAT. WITNESS STATED THAT THE PLANE WAS FLYING UPRIGHT BEFORE THE COLLISION AND THE PLANE LANDED UPRIGHT AFTER IT FELL TO THE GROUND AFTER IT WENT INTO THE TREES.
FOR THE FAA NINE RESPONSIBILITIES ALL "NO" WAS SELECTED DUE TO THE BIRDS BEING UNAVOIDABLE ON SHORT FINAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.