# Accident 20250831014579A: Piper PA-28-140, Pittsfield, IL, August 31, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 31, 2025, 20:15 local time
- Place: Pittsfield, IL
- Airport: Pittsfield Penstone Municipal
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.6389° N, 90.7786° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.6389&lon=-90.7786&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5714F, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5714F) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-140
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 149 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN25LA353](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA353) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250831014579A

## Narrative

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

ON 8-31-25 APPROXIMATELY 1925 LOCAL TIME, AIRCRAFT DEPARTED 1H0 WITH ONE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND ONE INSTRUMENT STUDENT PILOT ON BOARD. AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE TO KPPQ WITH THE INTENTION TO FLY A PRACTICE RNAV FOR RUNWAY 31 AT KPPQ. THE FLIGHT WENT AS PLANNED AND THE SUN HAD SET BY THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT REACHED KPPQ.  THE AIRCRAFT INITIATED THE APPROACH WITH THE AIRPORT LIGHTS ON AS WELL AS THE REQUIRED AIRCRAFT LIGHTS. AT APPROXIMATELY 2015 LOCAL TIME THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY 31 AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY A DEER RAN ACROSS THE RUNWAY FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WASN'T TIME TO SLOW DOWN SO HE INITIATED A GO AROUND AND AS SOON AS THE MAIN WHEELS LEFT THE RUNWAY A SECOND DEER ATTEMPTED TO CROSS THE RUNWAY AND SLAMMED INTO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT RUNWAY TO STOP SO IT CONTINUED ITS GO-AROUND. THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT FLEW NORMALLY. THE PILOT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS DAMAGED AND LANDED USING A SOFT-FIELD LANDING TECHNIQUE. ONCE ON THE GROUND THE AIRCRAFT HANDLE FINE AND THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED OFF THE RUNWAY AND SHUTDOWN NORMARLY. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLING. THE LEFT WING ROOT AND UNDERSIDE ALSO SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. THE DETERMINATION WAS MADE THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS UNAIRWORTHY AND THAT LEFT WING WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE FLIGHT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN25LA353](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA353), Sep 1, 2025: Piper PA-28-140 (N5714F), Pittsfield, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The collision with a deer during the aborted landing in night visual meteorological conditions.

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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