20251110017959A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Cessna 172S · Lynchburg, VA · November 10, 2025

Date: November 10, 2025 · 14:00 local
Place: Lynchburg, VA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator: L48S
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N708LU
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA26LA038
Reported as: Cessna 172S
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 854 total

N708LURegistered now · Cessna 172SS/N 172S11474 · Built 2014 Airframe modelCessna 172S Engine modelLycoming IO-360-L2AReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

During an instructional flight the aircraft struck a bird on the leading edge of the right wing while in cruise flight. The PIC delcared an emergency and landed the aircraft without further incident. The aircraft sustained structural damage to the forward spar of the right wing from the impact with the bird.

As the FAA filed it

DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BIRD ON THE LEADING EDGE OF THE RIGHT WING WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT. THE PIC DELCARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE FORWARD SPAR OF THE RIGHT WING FROM THE IMPACT WITH THE BIRD.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA26LA038Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportLynchburg, VAAn in-flight collision with a bird.Nov 10, 2025 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N708LU · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20210601004189ILanding: Touchdown · Morrisville, NC[privacy data omitted] Stated she was given a runway change and that started her getting behind the airplane. She was flying the airplane and running the checklist and responding to ATC but lost track of her speed and flaps. As she got set up on final for the…Jun 1, 2021 · Minor damage