20230711018869A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Gray, GA · July 11, 2023

Date: July 11, 2023 · 13:39 local
Place: Gray, GA
Airport: Na
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: HG6S
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N271MG
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA23LA305
Reported as: Piper PA-28-181
Reported engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 194 total

N271MGRegistered now · Piper PA-28-181S/N 2881453 · Built 2021 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181 Engine modelLycoming O-360-A4M4 cycle

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.

Aircraft took off from kmac airport going north for 12 miles at 3000 feet. Pilot was performing practice maneuvers between 3200 and 2500 feet. After finishing maneuvers, aircraft was flown south for 3 minutes and started flying back to kmac airport. While inputting data into the G1000 navigation system, pilot looked up to see a large black bird flying very close and to the right of the plane. Pilot tried to avoid it by pushing the nose down but it was too late. Bird impacted the end of the right wing. Pilot stated that he could hear and feel the impact of the bird and RH wing. Pilot noticed that the end of the right wing was visibly deformed. Pilot immediately started heading for kmac airport which was 12 miles to the south of the site of collision. Flight controls of the aircraft were noted as being nomal. Pilot did not declare an emergency and landed normally on runway 280. Aircraft was taxied to the FBO and parked.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM KMAC AIRPORT GOING NORTH FOR 12 MILES AT 3000 FEET. PILOT WAS PERFORMING PRACTICE MANEUVERS BETWEEN 3200 AND 2500 FEET. AFTER FINISHING MANEUVERS, AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN SOUTH FOR 3 MINUTES AND STARTED FLYING BACK TO KMAC AIRPORT. WHILE INPUTTING DATA INTO THE G1000 NAVIGATION SYSTEM, PILOT LOOKED UP TO SEE A LARGE BLACK BIRD FLYING VERY CLOSE AND TO THE RIGHT OF THE PLANE. PILOT TRIED TO AVOID IT BY PUSHING THE NOSE DOWN BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. BIRD IMPACTED THE END OF THE RIGHT WING. PILOT STATED THAT HE COULD HEAR AND FEEL THE IMPACT OF THE BIRD AND RH WING. PILOT NOTICED THAT THE END OF THE RIGHT WING WAS VISIBLY DEFORMED. PILOT IMMEDIATELY STARTED HEADING FOR KMAC AIRPORT WHICH WAS 12 MILES TO THE SOUTH OF THE SITE OF COLLISION. FLIGHT CONTROLS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE NOTED AS BEING NOMAL. PILOT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED NORMALLY ON RUNWAY 280. AIRCRAFT WAS TAXIED TO THE FBO AND PARKED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA23LA305Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportGray, GAAn in-flight collision with a bird.Jul 11, 2023 · Substantial damage