# Wildlife encounter (non-bird)

- Type: NTSB defining event
- NTSB code: 310
- CICTT category: Wildlife Encounter (non-bird)
- Defining event in: 98 cases
- In the sequence of: 107 cases
- Fatal cases: 1
- All cases: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/310/cases.md
- Cases with it anywhere in the sequence: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/310/sequence.md
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/310

## Cases per year (defining / in the sequence)

- 2008: 6 / 6
- 2009: 2 / 2
- 2010: 6 / 6
- 2012: 7 / 7
- 2013: 4 / 4
- 2014: 4 / 7
- 2015: 4 / 5
- 2016: 7 / 7
- 2017: 7 / 7
- 2018: 6 / 6
- 2019: 5 / 6
- 2020: 5 / 6
- 2021: 5 / 5
- 2022: 5 / 5
- 2023: 5 / 5
- 2024: 7 / 9
- 2025: 8 / 9
- 2026: 5 / 5

## Phase of flight

- Takeoff: 33 cases
- Landing-landing roll: 30 cases
- Landing: 15 cases
- Landing-flare/touchdown: 13 cases
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: 4 cases
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: 2 cases
- Taxi-from runway: 1 cases

## In the probable cause of these cases

- [Animal(s)/bird(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045) (Environmental issues): 90 cases
- [Directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020) (Aircraft): 5 cases
- [Security](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03017080) (Environmental issues): 3 cases
- [Airport facilities/design, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03017000) (Environmental issues): 3 cases
- [Dark](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036020) (Environmental issues): 2 cases
- [Low light](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03036015) (Environmental issues): 2 cases
- [Adequacy of facilities](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/04022035) (Organizational issues): 1 cases
- [Fence/fence post](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022047) (Environmental issues): 1 cases
- [Physical environment, general](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03020000) (Environmental issues): 1 cases
- [Task monitoring/vigilance](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021520) (Personnel issues): 1 cases

## Aircraft models (registry)

- [Piper PA-28-181](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181): 8 cases
- [Cirrus Design SR22T](https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr22t): 5 cases
- [Cessna 172S](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s): 4 cases
- [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140): 3 cases
- [Cessna 172M](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172m): 3 cases
- [Piper PA-28-151](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-151): 2 cases
- [Piper PA-28-161](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161): 2 cases
- [Cirrus Design SR22](https://openairdocs.org/model/cirrus-design-sr22): 2 cases
- [Cessna 550](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-550): 2 cases
- [Cessna 310R](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-310r): 2 cases

## Newest cases

- [NTSB CEN26LA320](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA320), Sep 13, 2026: Diamond Aircraft Ind DA20-C1 (N942RM), Howell, MI, substantial damage, investigation ongoing
- [NTSB WPR26LA297](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA297), Aug 9, 2026: Cirrus Design SR22T (N551JW), Sells, AZ, substantial damage, investigation ongoing
- [NTSB ERA26LA293](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA293), Aug 5, 2026: Beech 58 (N29DA), Carlisle, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A collision with a deer during landing.
- [NTSB CEN26LA291](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA291), Aug 3, 2026: Vans RV8 (N412CV), Linden, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The collision with a deer during touch-and-go landings.
- [NTSB CEN26LA116](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA116), Feb 14, 2026: Beech C90 (N247MD), Guymon, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The collision with a white-tailed deer during the takeoff in night visual conditions.
- [NTSB CEN26LA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA058), Dec 10, 2025: Piper PA28 (N6058F), Conroe, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The collision with a deer during takeoff.
- [NTSB CEN26LA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA054), Nov 26, 2025: Lou Malinchak Titan T-51D (N251LM), Bristow, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The collision with two deer during takeoff which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.
- [NTSB CEN26LA035](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA035), Nov 5, 2025: Cessna 172 (N9490H), Grantsburg, WI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The collision with a white-tail deer during the landing in dark night visual conditions.
- [NTSB ERA25LA375](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA375), Sep 29, 2025: Cessna 172 (N6703A), Punxsutawney, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The airplane’s collision with a deer on a runway during landing roll.
- [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.

NTSB has coded findings and defining events since 2008; earlier cases used its older occurrence and cause codes and aren't counted.

Findings: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings.md. Defining events: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events.md. Phases of flight: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases.md. Every investigation, filtered by finding, event, phase, state, year or model: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb.md (for example ?state=MI&fatal=1).

NTSB's definitions: Accident and incident, 49 CFR 830.2 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-VIII/part-830/subpart-A/section-830.2), CICTT occurrence categories (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/OccurrenceCategoryDefinitions.pdf), CICTT phases of flight (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/data/Documents/datafiles/PhaseofFlightDefinitions.pdf), and NTSB coding manual, before 2008 (PDF) (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). NTSB publishes no definitions for its findings, only their names.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.