- Date
- May 7, 2010, 19:15 local (May 8, 2010, 03:15 UTC)
- Place
- Eek, AK
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N77HVPiper PA-31-350
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-01
- FAA report
- 20100507033639A
- Case key
- 75845
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 collisions with two Cackling Geese (Branta Hutchinsii).
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The airline transport pilot was on a Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, positioning flight. The pilot said that he was in cruise flight when the airplane struck two geese. One goose penetrated the right-side windscreen and came to rest at the rear of the passenger cabin; the second goose impacted the leading edge of the right wing. The pilot said that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. The windscreen and right wing were structurally damaged by impact with the birds. The birds were identified as Cackling Geese (Branta Hutchinsii).
Factual narrative
The airline transport pilot was on a Title 14, CFR Part 91, positioning flight. The pilot said he was in cruise flight when the airplane struck two geese. He said one goose penetrated the right side windscreen, and came to rest at the rear of the passenger cabin, and the second goose impacted the leading edge of the right wing. The pilot said there were no mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. He said the windscreen and right wing were structurally damaged by impact with the birds. The birds were identified as Cackling Geese (Branta Hutchinsii).
Aircraft
- Registration
- N77HV
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31-350
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 318152193
- Airframe hours
- 3,431
- Engines
- Lycoming TI0-540 SER, 310 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming TIO-540 SER, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Operator
- Grant Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- Grant Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · November 2, 2009
- Departed
- EEK · Eek, AK
- Destination
- BET · Bethel, AK
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 9, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,022 total · 1,650 in this make and model · 3,900 as pilot in command · 190 in the last 90 days · 71 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.39 inHg
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 637 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.