# Accident 20240229002889A: Cessna 172S, Leesburg, VA, February 29, 2024

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 29, 2024, 09:15 local time
- Place: Leesburg, VA
- Airport: Leesburg Executive
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: VZ7S
- Location: 39.0780° N, 77.5575° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at LEESBURG EXEC (JYO), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0780&lon=-77.5575&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1057R, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1057R) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172S (registry code 2072439, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (registry code 41597, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-L2A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 425 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240229002889A

## Narrative

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

ON FEBRUARY 29TH, 2024, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS STRUCK BY A BIRD DURING A PILOT TRAINING FLIGHT. ON THIS DAY, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HAD DECIEDED TO STAY AT KJYO, TO CONDUCT TRAINING ON PATTERN WORK. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INSTRUCTOR’S STATEMENT, HE OPENED A SFRA FLIGHT PLAN FOR KJYO AT 0702HRS SINCE THE TOWER WOULD NOT BE OPEN FOR ANOTHER HOUR. AT THE TIME WINDS WERE LIGHT OUT OF THE NORTHWEST, APPROXIMATELY 330@ 5, 10 SM VISIBILITY, CLR BELOW 12,000, TEMPUTURES RIGHT AROUND FREEZING. WITH THE STUDENT FLYING THE AIRCRAFT, THEY HAD CARRIED OUT A FEW LAPS IN THE PATTERN WHILE LANDING RUNWAY 35, WITH NO ISSUES. AT APPROXIMATELY 0830HRS, WHILE ON THE DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 35, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT STATED THAT HE SAW TWO BIRDS APPROXIMATELY 50 FT AWAY. AS THEY CONTINUED ON THE DOWNWIND, WITH THE AIRCRAFT ON A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 171, AND THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT READY TO DIRECT THE STUDENT TO START CONFIGURING THE AIRCRAFT FOR LANDING, HE SAW, FROM HIS PERIPHERAL VISION, A BLACK SHADOW WHICH FLASHED IN THE CORNER OF THE UPPER, RIGHT WINDSCREEN, BLOCKING THE SUN AS IT PASSED BY. THEN THEY HEARD A THUMP. THE STUDENT INQUIRED INTO WHAT THAT WAS, TO WHICH THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT INFORMED HER THAT THEY HAD JUST BEEN HIT BY A BIRD. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HE THEN TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND PROCEEDED WITH A NORMAL, NO FLAP LANDING, AS HE WAS UNSURE OF WHERE THE BIRD HAD ACTUALLY STRUCK.                                                                                                                      THE LANDING WAS CARRIED OUT, WITH NO ISSUES. ONCE ON THE GROUND, THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLEARED TO TAXI TO THE NORTH RAMP, WHERE IT WAS PARKED, AND DAMAGE ASSESSED.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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