What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft was practicing pattern work at Sonoma Skypark Airport 0Q9 in Sonoma, CA. Student was in control of the aircraft with instructor present. Aircraft was landing on runway 26. During transition from flare to touchdown a male deer crossed the runway from north to south at a full run. The deer impacted the aircraft on the lower right cowling. For an unknown reason at the time the engine shut down and the aircraft continued its roll out without incident down centerline of the runway. The pilot and instructor exited the aircraft to assess the damage to the aircraft and the deer. The impact caused minor damage to the cowling, right exhaust tail pipe and lower right cowling mount. No marks were present on the deer consistent with the propeller striking it. No damage or evidence of the deer was present on the propeller. The aircraft was towed to a tie down near the main terminal. The deer was removed from the runway by county employees. A mechanic inspected the aircraft. He confirmed the damage to the aircraft was limited to the lower right of cowling, one lower right cowling mount and the right exhaust tail pipe. His inspection of the propeller revealed no damage and concluded that it was likely the propeller did not contact the deer. He also found no evidence that the impact caused the engine to shut down, however the mixture control looked as though it had been pulled back aggressively to its idle cutoff position. Mixture and throttle controls moved smoothly stop to stop and functioned properly. His inspection of the rest of the aircraft yielded no other damage from the impact to any other system or surface of the aircraft.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT WAS PRACTICING PATTERN WORK AT SONOMA SKYPARK AIRPORT 0Q9 IN SONOMA, CA. STUDENT WAS IN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH INSTRUCTOR PRESENT. AIRCRAFT WAS LANDING ON RUNWAY 26. DURING TRANSITION FROM FLARE TO TOUCHDOWN A MALE DEER CROSSED THE RUNWAY FROM NORTH TO SOUTH AT A FULL RUN. THE DEER IMPACTED THE AIRCRAFT ON THE LOWER RIGHT COWLING. FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON AT THE TIME THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ITS ROLL OUT WITHOUT INCIDENT DOWN CENTERLINE OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR EXITED THE AIRCRAFT TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND THE DEER. THE IMPACT CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE COWLING, RIGHT EXHAUST TAIL PIPE AND LOWER RIGHT COWLING MOUNT. NO MARKS WERE PRESENT ON THE DEER CONSISTENT WITH THE PROPELLER STRIKING IT. NO DAMAGE OR EVIDENCE OF THE DEER WAS PRESENT ON THE PROPELLER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO A TIE DOWN NEAR THE MAIN TERMINAL. THE DEER WAS REMOVED FROM THE RUNWAY BY COUNTY EMPLOYEES. A MECHANIC INSPECTED THE AIRCRAFT. HE CONFIRMED THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIMITED TO THE LOWER RIGHT OF COWLING, ONE LOWER RIGHT COWLING MOUNT AND THE RIGHT EXHAUST TAIL PIPE. HIS INSPECTION OF THE PROPELLER REVEALED NO DAMAGE AND CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS LIKELY THE PROPELLER DID NOT CONTACT THE DEER. HE ALSO FOUND NO EVIDENCE THAT THE IMPACT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN, HOWEVER THE MIXTURE CONTROL LOOKED AS THOUGH IT HAD BEEN PULLED BACK AGGRESSIVELY TO ITS IDLE CUTOFF POSITION. MIXTURE AND THROTTLE CONTROLS MOVED SMOOTHLY STOP TO STOP AND FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. HIS INSPECTION OF THE REST OF THE AIRCRAFT YIELDED NO OTHER DAMAGE FROM THE IMPACT TO ANY OTHER SYSTEM OR SURFACE OF THE AIRCRAFT.