What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 10/22/2023 at approximately 1900 EDT, a Piper PA-28-201T impacted a deer during landing rollout that resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft. No injuries were reported.
The flight originated from Mount Pleasant Municipal Airport (kmop) as a leisure flight with only the pilot on-board the aircraft. The pilot stated he “saw deer to the north side of the runway during previous passes.” during the return landing the pilot stated, “upon landing runway 27 at kmop (mt. Pleasant, MI) shortly after touchdown a whitetail deer appeared running from the south side of the runway. In a matter of seconds, it was in front of my left wing. As I was decelerating from landing when the deer appeared, impact was inevitable. As the deer crossed in front of the left wing it leaped just prior to impact, striking the left wing just outside of the fuel tank. I was able to maintain control of the airplane after impact, staying on the runway.”
The pilot taxied the aircraft to their hangar and contacted the airport manager. The deer was removed from the runway. The pilot stated he and the airport manager inspected the runway for any additional debris. No injuries were reported.
Following the accident, the airport manager put out a NOTAM for the wildlife hazard located at kmop.
Damage to the aircraft is as follows: left wing leading edge has impact area that extends approximately from left wing fuel tank outboard rib 44 inches towards the wing tip. The damaged area adjacent to the left fuel tank extends aft approximately 37 inches. The depth of the damaged area from the outboard section of damage (44 inches outboard from the left wing fuel rib) extends aft approximately 32 inches. The leading edge skin is crushed and torn. The leading edge ribs are crushed and deformed. The skin is deformed on the upper and lower wing surfaces forward and aft of the main wing spar.
Theprivacy data omittedstated a mechanic will be inspecting the damaged area to assess needed repairs.
As the FAA filed it
ON 10/22/2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 1900 EDT, A PIPER PA-28-201T IMPACTED A DEER DURING LANDING ROLLOUT THAT RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM MOUNT PLEASANT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KMOP) AS A LEISURE FLIGHT WITH ONLY THE PILOT ON-BOARD THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT STATED HE “SAW DEER TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY DURING PREVIOUS PASSES.” DURING THE RETURN LANDING THE PILOT STATED, “UPON LANDING RUNWAY 27 AT KMOP (MT. PLEASANT, MI) SHORTLY AFTER TOUCHDOWN A WHITETAIL DEER APPEARED RUNNING FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, IT WAS IN FRONT OF MY LEFT WING. AS I WAS DECELERATING FROM LANDING WHEN THE DEER APPEARED, IMPACT WAS INEVITABLE. AS THE DEER CROSSED IN FRONT OF THE LEFT WING IT LEAPED JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT, STRIKING THE LEFT WING JUST OUTSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AFTER IMPACT, STAYING ON THE RUNWAY.”
THE PILOT TAXIED THE AIRCRAFT TO THEIR HANGAR AND CONTACTED THE AIRPORT MANAGER. THE DEER WAS REMOVED FROM THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED HE AND THE AIRPORT MANAGER INSPECTED THE RUNWAY FOR ANY ADDITIONAL DEBRIS. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRPORT MANAGER PUT OUT A NOTAM FOR THE WILDLIFE HAZARD LOCATED AT KMOP.
DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IS AS FOLLOWS: LEFT WING LEADING EDGE HAS IMPACT AREA THAT EXTENDS APPROXIMATELY FROM LEFT WING FUEL TANK OUTBOARD RIB 44 INCHES TOWARDS THE WING TIP. THE DAMAGED AREA ADJACENT TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK EXTENDS AFT APPROXIMATELY 37 INCHES. THE DEPTH OF THE DAMAGED AREA FROM THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF DAMAGE (44 INCHES OUTBOARD FROM THE LEFT WING FUEL RIB) EXTENDS AFT APPROXIMATELY 32 INCHES. THE LEADING EDGE SKIN IS CRUSHED AND TORN. THE LEADING EDGE RIBS ARE CRUSHED AND DEFORMED. THE SKIN IS DEFORMED ON THE UPPER AND LOWER WING SURFACES FORWARD AND AFT OF THE MAIN WING SPAR.
THE^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^STATED A MECHANIC WILL BE INSPECTING THE DAMAGED AREA TO ASSESS NEEDED REPAIRS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.