# Incident 20260117000119I: Cessna 172S, Palm Coast, FL, January 17, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 17, 2026, 13:50 local time
- Place: Palm Coast, FL
- Airport: Palm Coast
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: IHMS
- Location: 29.5850° N, 81.2078° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Palm Coast, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.5850&lon=-81.2078&mi=10
- Aircraft: N61237, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N61237) (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: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,700 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260117000119I

## Narrative

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

PALM COAST, FL (FIN): A C172 STRUCK A BIRD WHILE DEPARTING RUNWAY 11 AND RETURNED TO FIN. AIRCRAFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. PILOT REPORTED DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING. POB: UNKNOWN, INJURIES: NONE, DAMAGE: EXTENT UNKNOWN. 01/17/2026 1350 EST.

PILOT STATEMENT: ON TAKEOFF APPROX AT 200FT WE SAW BIRDS ON THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUWNAY. WE TRIED LEVELLING OFF AND BANKING AWAY BUT THE BIRD DIVED DOWN AND HIT OUR RIGHT WING. I TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, CLIMBED UP AND REPORTED TO ATC. WE DID A PATTERN AND LANDED SAFELY. TOWER REQUESTED INFORMATION FROM ME AND I CONTACTED THE TOWER AFTER TYING THE PLANE DOWN.

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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