20230527019129I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Belfontaine, OH · May 27, 2023

Date: May 27, 2023 · 19:38 local
Place: Belfontaine, OH
Airport: Bellefontaine Regional
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N17324
Reported as: Piper PA-28-161
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 88 total8 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days

N17324Registered now · Piper PA-28-161S/N 287916050 · Built 1979 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

On 27 may 2023 N17324 was on a flight from tol to I19 on a clear VFR evening. During the pilots flight he saw a flock of birds in his path. He diverted away from the birds only to hit another bird that he did not see. After hitting the bird he noticed an unusual vibration in the aircraft. He looked out at the right wing and noticed the damage to the rt. Wing. The pilot then tried to regain contact with toledo ATC. Being unable to get in contact with them he determined that the closest airport was edj. He declared an emergency and diverted there due to the damage that he could observe to the leading edge of the wing. He was able to complete a successful landing at edj. An examination of the damage indicated that the spar was not damaged, therefore this is an incident.

As the FAA filed it

ON 27 MAY 2023 N17324 WAS ON A FLIGHT FROM TOL TO I19 ON A CLEAR VFR EVENING. DURING THE PILOTS FLIGHT HE SAW A FLOCK OF BIRDS IN HIS PATH. HE DIVERTED AWAY FROM THE BIRDS ONLY TO HIT ANOTHER BIRD THAT HE DID NOT SEE. AFTER HITTING THE BIRD HE NOTICED AN UNUSUAL VIBRATION IN THE AIRCRAFT. HE LOOKED OUT AT THE RIGHT WING AND NOTICED THE DAMAGE TO THE RT. WING. THE PILOT THEN TRIED TO REGAIN CONTACT WITH TOLEDO ATC. BEING UNABLE TO GET IN CONTACT WITH THEM HE DETERMINED THAT THE CLOSEST AIRPORT WAS EDJ. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERTED THERE DUE TO THE DAMAGE THAT HE COULD OBSERVE TO THE LEADING EDGE OF THE WING. HE WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE A SUCCESSFUL LANDING AT EDJ. AN EXAMINATION OF THE DAMAGE INDICATED THAT THE SPAR WAS NOT DAMAGED, THEREFORE THIS IS AN INCIDENT.