# Incident 20230527019129I: Piper PA-28-161, Belfontaine, OH, May 27, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 27, 2023, 19:38 local time
- Place: Belfontaine, OH
- Airport: Bellefontaine Regional
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.3723° N, 83.8192° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BELLEFONTAINE RGNL (EDJ), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.3723&lon=-83.8192&mi=10
- Aircraft: N17324, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N17324) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-161
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 88 total, 8 in this make and model, 11 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230527019129I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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