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20251116016379I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Raytheon 400A · Escanaba, MI · November 16, 2025

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 16, 2025 · 14:05 local
Place
Escanaba, MI
Airport
Delta County
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
ABOA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N9WW
Reported as
Raytheon 400A
Reported engine
Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D 5 series
People aboard
7
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
39,356 total1,741 in this make and model65 in the last 90 days
N9WWRegistered now · Raytheon 400AS/N RK-142 · Built 1997Airframe modelRaytheon 400AEngine modelPratt & Whitney Canada JT15D 5 seriesTurbo-fan

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.

The BE-400A crew accelerated the aircraft on takeoff roll to 108 knots when the PIC spotted a large bird below them at rotation. As the nose of the aircraft lifted to fifteen degrees, the bald eagle struck the right side of the nose radome, denting metal skin, partially tearing the landing light door, and damaging the pitot tube rendering the right-seat airspeed inoperative. The crew noted no indication that there was impact or ingestion damage to either engine. After making their way through clouds, the PIC noted clear weather conditions, contacted the center to report the bird strike, leveled off at 10,000 feet MSL, and flew westward one hour to their home airport. The PIC continued the flight after deciding the aircraft was safe to fly and due to the concern of a possibly contaminated runway on return. Airport personnel later retrieved the remains of the bald eagle from the runway. The aircrew filed a FAA form 5200-7 post flight to report the bird strike. No injuries were sustained by the two crew members or five passengers.

As the FAA filed it

THE BE-400A CREW ACCELERATED THE AIRCRAFT ON TAKEOFF ROLL TO 108 KNOTS WHEN THE PIC SPOTTED A LARGE BIRD BELOW THEM AT ROTATION. AS THE NOSE OF THE AIRCRAFT LIFTED TO FIFTEEN DEGREES, THE BALD EAGLE STRUCK THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE NOSE RADOME, DENTING METAL SKIN, PARTIALLY TEARING THE LANDING LIGHT DOOR, AND DAMAGING THE PITOT TUBE RENDERING THE RIGHT-SEAT AIRSPEED INOPERATIVE. THE CREW NOTED NO INDICATION THAT THERE WAS IMPACT OR INGESTION DAMAGE TO EITHER ENGINE. AFTER MAKING THEIR WAY THROUGH CLOUDS, THE PIC NOTED CLEAR WEATHER CONDITIONS, CONTACTED THE CENTER TO REPORT THE BIRD STRIKE, LEVELED OFF AT 10,000 FEET MSL, AND FLEW WESTWARD ONE HOUR TO THEIR HOME AIRPORT. THE PIC CONTINUED THE FLIGHT AFTER DECIDING THE AIRCRAFT WAS SAFE TO FLY AND DUE TO THE CONCERN OF A POSSIBLY CONTAMINATED RUNWAY ON RETURN. AIRPORT PERSONNEL LATER RETRIEVED THE REMAINS OF THE BALD EAGLE FROM THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCREW FILED A FAA FORM 5200-7 POST FLIGHT TO REPORT THE BIRD STRIKE. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE TWO CREW MEMBERS OR FIVE PASSENGERS.