# Incident 20240101000029I: Cessna 172R, Stuart, FL, January 1, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 1, 2024, 10:40 local time
- Place: Stuart, FL
- Airport: Witham Field
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: 9TCS
- Location: 27.1817° N, 80.2213° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at WITHAM FLD (SUA), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.1817&lon=-80.2213&mi=10
- Aircraft: N665RT, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N665RT) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172R (registry code 2072401, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172r) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (registry code 41597, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172R
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-L2A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,331 total, 827 in this make and model, 260 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240101000029I

## Narrative

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

PART 141 FLIGHT SCHOOL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^FLIGHT SCHOOL OPERATING CESSNA 172R, REGISTRATION ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 30 HAD A BIRD STRIKE ON THE RIGHT WING AND FUSELAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT. ONE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), STUDENT PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER NO INJURIES AIRCRAFT LANDED SAFELY. DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING LEADING EDGE SECTION OF ATTACHMENT POINT TO THE FUSELAGE. AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

A LARGE BIRD STRUCK THE STARBOARD WING AT THE AIR VENTS AND WING LEADING EDGE. DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT-WING LEADING EDGE AND RIGHT-WING ATTACHMENT SECTION COVER. DAMAGE TO LEADING EDGE PUSHING ALUMINUM INWARD TO FRONT WING SPAR AND DAMAGING TO FORWARD RIBS OF THE LEADING EDGE. IMPACT CAUSED ALUMINUM COVER WHICH COVERS RIGHT WING ATTACHMENT AREA TO FUSELAGE TO FALL AWAY FORM AIRCRAFT ON IMPACT WITH BIRD.

CFI PILOT STATED CONCLUDING THE FLIGHT AND WERE ENTERING THE LEFT DOWNWIND, MIDFIELD RWY 30 AT 1000 FEET.  ABEAM THE 1000-FOOT MARKERS THE STUDENT BEGAN TO CONFIGURE FOR LANDING AS WE LOOKED UP A LARGE BIRD GLANCED OFF THE STARBOARD SIDE OF THE PROP AND STRUCK THE STARBOARD WING AT THE AIR VENTS. CFI PILOT TOOK CONTROLS AND REQUESTED A SHORT APPROACH FROM TOWER AND PROCEEDED TO LAND THE PLANE WITH NO FURTHER ISSUES.

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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