- Date
- January 31, 2007, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Vero Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N760CPiper PA-46-500TP
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Case key
- 65383
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An in-flight collision with a bird while maneuvering, which resulted in structural damage to the left wing of the airplane.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The private certificated pilot/owner, accompanied by a certificated flight instructor and a passenger, departed on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 local area instructional flight in a new, high performance airplane. As part of the purchase of the airplane, the instructor was providing transition training into the new airplane to the pilot/owner and the passenger. As the pilot was maneuvering the airplane in simulated instrument conditions, the left wing of the airplane was struck by a large bird. The collision resulted in structural damage to the wing, and a fuel leak when the left wing fuel tank was ruptured. An emergency landing was made at the departure airport.
Factual narrative
The private certificated pilot/owner, accompanied by a certificated flight instructor and a passenger, departed on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 local area instructional flight in a new, high performance airplane. As part of the purchase of the airplane, the instructor was providing transition training into the new airplane to the pilot/owner and the passenger. As the pilot was maneuvering the airplane in simulated instrument conditions, the left wing of the airplane was struck by a large bird. The collision resulted in structural damage to the wing, and a fuel leak when the left wing fuel tank was ruptured. An emergency landing was made at the departure airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N760C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-46-500TP
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4697289
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert M. Taylor
- Registered owner
- SAN-B Air, LTD.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KVRB · Vero Beach, FL
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,607 total · 4 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Age
- 52
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 11,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 12 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F