# Incident 20260306001869I: Piper PA-28-181, Melbourne, FL, March 6, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 6, 2026, 13:47 local time
- Place: Melbourne, FL
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: ECQS
- Location: 28.6670° N, 81.1037° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.6670&lon=-81.1037&mi=10
- Aircraft: N658FT, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N658FT) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-B4A (registry code 41867, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-b4a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-B4A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,230 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA26LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA142) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260306001869I

## Narrative

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

ON CLIMB OUT A LARGE BLACK BIRD APPEARED LIKE IT WAS FLYING OVER AND TO LEFT OF AIRCRAFT. ATTEMPTED TO LOWER NOSE AND GO TO THE RIGHT.

BIRD DIVE BOMBED LEFT WING LEADING EDGE. DENT IN WING NOTED IMMEDIATELY. LANDED KMLB FOR MAINTENANCE. INSTRUCTOR PILOT HANDLED LANDING.

THERE WAS NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.

AIRCRAFT REMAINS IN MAINTENENCE.

WILDLIFE STRIKE REPORT NUMBER: 2026-03-06-142141

## 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 ERA26LA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA142), Mar 6, 2026: Piper PA-28-181 (N658FT), Chuluota, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: An in-flight collision with a bird while enroute.

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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