- Date
- August 31, 2003, 19:44 local (Sep 1, 2003, 00:44 UTC)
- Place
- Murfreesboro, TN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3542KPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Nashville FSDO-03
- FAA report
- 20030831023329A
- Case key
- 57864
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 on-ground collision with an animal (deer) during an attempted takeoff. .
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
During take off at approximately 70 knots a deer charged the airplane. The power was reduced to idle and the deer struck the airplane. The airplane veered off the runway into the grass. Examination of the airplane revealed damage to the right front engine cowling, and bending of the propeller. The right side of the firewall was buckled.
Factual narrative
On August 31, 2003, at 1944 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N3542K, registered to Max Air Inc., and operated by a certified flight instructor (CFI) collided with a deer during takeoff roll on runway 18 at Murfreesboro Municipal Airport, Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The instructional flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was substantially damaged, and the CFI and private pilot were not injured. The local flight originated from Murfreesboro Municipal Airport, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, at 1942, on August 31, 2003.
According to the flight instructor during take off at approximately 70 knots a deer charged the airplane. The power was reduced to idle and the deer struck the airplane. The airplane veered off the runway into the grass. The airplane came to rest on a 355-degree magnetic heading. Examination of the airplane revealed damage to the right front engine cowling, and bending of the propeller. The right side of the firewall was buckled.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3542K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-23617
- Airframe hours
- 5,610
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 20, 2003 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- KMBT · Murfreesboro, TN
- Destination
- KMBT · Murfreesboro, TN
- Airport
- KMBT · Murfreesboro Airport, runway 18, 3,898 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- July 1, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 697 total · 260 in this make and model · 300 in the last 90 days · 106 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- KBNA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.