- Date
- September 9, 2004, 22:50 local (Sep 10, 2004, 02:50 UTC)
- Place
- Mount Pleasant, SC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9621WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20040909021209A
- Case key
- 60243
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
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 takeoff, at approximately 60 knots, a deer crossed the takeoff path of the airplane and struck the airplane. The pilot reduced the power to idle and exited off the active runway onto a taxiway. Examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing spar was damaged.
Factual narrative
On September 9, 2004 at 2250 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N9621W, owned and operated by a private pilot collided with a deer during takeoff roll on runway 17 at East Cooper Airport, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The personal 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 pilot and passenger were not injured. The local flight originated from East Cooper Airport, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina at 2245, on September 9, 2004.
According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll on runway 17 at approximately 60 knots, a deer ran across the path of the airplane. The pilot attempted to slow down when the deer struck the airplane. The pilot reduced the power and exited the active runway onto a taxiway. Examination of the airplane revealed the left wing spar was damaged.
The pilot also stated that deer on the airport has been a problem, and efforts by airport management to eliminated the deer threat is in progress.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9621W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-23077
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 8S5 · Mount Pleasant, SC
- Destination
- 8S5 · Mount Pleasant, SC
- Airport
- 8S5 · East Cooper, runway 17
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
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 350 total · 150 in this make and model · 16 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9621W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.