What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Saturday July 6th pilot of Piper pa 28 was flight instructing at kpie. It was a perfect VFR day, the winds were calm around 4 KTS,
Visibility 10 sm and the sky was clear. The student was working on takeoff and
Landing practice and we were working on pattern operations on runway 4. We were about
90KTS and 1000’ AGL. We were roughly abeam midfield when we saw a bird coming at the
Plane faster than we could prevent. I abruptly forced the nose of the aircraft down trying to
Dodge the bird but a bird slammed into the left side of the windshield breaking the
Windshield and causing the instrument switches to pertrude inward. As the instructor took
Controls and immediately declared to be sure we were able to get the aircraft down safely. We
Landing safely on runway 36 and neither the student or pilot was harmed or injured.
As the FAA filed it
ON SATURDAY JULY 6TH PILOT OF PIPER PA 28 WAS FLIGHT INSTRUCTING AT KPIE. IT WAS A PERFECT VFR DAY, THE WINDS WERE CALM AROUND 4 KTS,
VISIBILITY 10 SM AND THE SKY WAS CLEAR. THE STUDENT WAS WORKING ON TAKEOFF AND
LANDING PRACTICE AND WE WERE WORKING ON PATTERN OPERATIONS ON RUNWAY 4. WE WERE ABOUT
90KTS AND 1000’ AGL. WE WERE ROUGHLY ABEAM MIDFIELD WHEN WE SAW A BIRD COMING AT THE
PLANE FASTER THAN WE COULD PREVENT. I ABRUPTLY FORCED THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT DOWN TRYING TO
DODGE THE BIRD BUT A BIRD SLAMMED INTO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD BREAKING THE
WINDSHIELD AND CAUSING THE INSTRUMENT SWITCHES TO PERTRUDE INWARD. AS THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK
CONTROLS AND IMMEDIATELY DECLARED TO BE SURE WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN SAFELY. WE
LANDING SAFELY ON RUNWAY 36 AND NEITHER THE STUDENT OR PILOT WAS HARMED OR INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.