OpenAirDocs.org

20221110019899I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Ann Arbor, MI · November 10, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
November 10, 2022 · 17:59 local
Place
Ann Arbor, MI
Airport
Ann Arbor Municipal
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N20873
Reported as
Piper PA-28-181
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
385 total
N20873Registered now · Piper PA-28-181S/N 28-7990027 · Built 1978Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

At 2259Z on November 10, 2022, a private pilot acting as PIC with one pilot-rated passenger aboard was executing a touch-and-go on runway 24, when a deer ran onto the runway from the north and into the path of the aircraft. Immediately after rotation, a 'thump' was heard from the right side of the aircraft, and a deer was observed passing under the right wing. Airspeed at the time of the strike was approximately 70 KIAS, and the strike occurred approximately 1000 feet from the runway 6 threshold.

Due to the amount of runway remaining, and the strike occurring after rotation, pilot continued the takeoff. After takeoff all flight controls and characteristics appeared normal. An in-flight inspection showed no observable damage on the leading edge or control surfaces on the wing. The pilot executed a safe landing and taxied to the ramp without further incident.

Following a ground inspection, several holes, dents, and scratch marks from what appears to have been caused by deer antlers were observed on the underside of the right wing, outboard of the fuel tank. Approximately a six-inch piece of antler was found on the runway following a FOD inspection by airport staff.

As the FAA filed it

AT 2259Z ON NOVEMBER 10, 2022, A PRIVATE PILOT ACTING AS PIC WITH ONE PILOT-RATED PASSENGER ABOARD WAS EXECUTING A TOUCH-AND-GO ON RUNWAY 24, WHEN A DEER RAN ONTO THE RUNWAY FROM THE NORTH AND INTO THE PATH OF THE AIRCRAFT. IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROTATION, A 'THUMP' WAS HEARD FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND A DEER WAS OBSERVED PASSING UNDER THE RIGHT WING. AIRSPEED AT THE TIME OF THE STRIKE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70 KIAS, AND THE STRIKE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET FROM THE RUNWAY 6 THRESHOLD.

DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF RUNWAY REMAINING, AND THE STRIKE OCCURRING AFTER ROTATION, PILOT CONTINUED THE TAKEOFF. AFTER TAKEOFF ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS AND CHARACTERISTICS APPEARED NORMAL. AN IN-FLIGHT INSPECTION SHOWED NO OBSERVABLE DAMAGE ON THE LEADING EDGE OR CONTROL SURFACES ON THE WING. THE PILOT EXECUTED A SAFE LANDING AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

FOLLOWING A GROUND INSPECTION, SEVERAL HOLES, DENTS, AND SCRATCH MARKS FROM WHAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY DEER ANTLERS WERE OBSERVED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE RIGHT WING, OUTBOARD OF THE FUEL TANK. APPROXIMATELY A SIX-INCH PIECE OF ANTLER WAS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY FOLLOWING A FOD INSPECTION BY AIRPORT STAFF.