- Date
- July 11, 2024, 09:46 local (17:46 UTC)
- Place
- Kenai, AK · Kenai airport
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7848BCurtiss Wright C-46R
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- Parties
- FAA
- Case key
- 194707
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 birds during takeoff.
Findings · 1
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 pilot reported that during takeoff, as the airplane passed through 150 ft above ground level (agl) several birds impacted the leading edge of the left wing. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the wing structure. The pilot continued the takeoff and entered a left hand traffic pattern and eventually landed back at the airport. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7848B
- Reported as
- Curtiss Wright C-46R
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 273
- Built
- 1942
- Engines
- Pratt & Whitney R2800-CA18, 2,250 horsepower, reciprocatingPratt & Whiteny R2800-CA18, 2,250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 125
- Operator
- Everts Air Fuel Inc
- Registered owner
- Everts Air Fuel Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- PABG · Beluga, AK
- Airport
- ENA · Kenai Muni, runway 20R, 7,855 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 66
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Last flight review
- April 2, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 30,000 total · 12,000 in this make and model · 30,000 as pilot in command · 330 in the last 90 days · 121 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 29, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,047 total · 803 in this make and model · 987 as pilot in command · 260 in the last 90 days · 108 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 11.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- PAEN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 8, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB in all.
Other investigations on N7848B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.