- Date
- April 16, 1995, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Bath, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7025SCessna 150H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 29, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950416009839A
- Case key
- 3552
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
A bird, which collided with and fractured the aircraft windshield, resulting in an emergency landing. A factor was the soft terrain at the emergency landing site.
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 commercial pilot was in cruise flight, spotting for forest fire hazards. While at 1,000 feet MSL, 95 knots IAS, a large goose collided with the left side of the windshield, and entered the cockpit, striking the pilot on the head. He observed a large amount of blood on himself, and was fearful that he may have been bleeding. He set up for an emergency landing in an open field. Due to visibility restrictions, he did not observe a set of power lines in time to avoid colliding with them. After colliding with the power lines, the aircraft nosed over on the soft terrain.
Factual narrative
On April 16, 1995, at 1130 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 150H, N7025S, collided with a bird during cruise flight near Bath, North Carolina. The aircraft subsequently collided with power lines and nosed over during an emergency landing attempt. The commercial pilot had minor injuries, and the aircraft was substantially damaged. The aircraft was operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 by Dillon's Aviation, of Greenville, North Carolina. The flight originated in Greenville at 1000.
The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight, at 1,000 feet mean sea level, spotting for forest fire hazards. The indicated airspeed was about 95 knots. While in straight and level flight, the windshield "seemed to explode." An object struck him on the right side of his head, knocking his headset off. His shirt and pants were soaked in blood, and there was blood on the right side of his head. After observing feathers in the cockpit, he realized that the aircraft had struck a bird. He was afraid that some of the blood may be his own, so he prepared for an emergency landing in an open field. Full engine power was required to maintain level flight. Forward visibility was restricted due to the wind blast and bird remains, so he took occasional glances ahead while mainly looking out the side windows. On short final, the aircraft collided with power lines immediately after he observed them. The aircraft was landed in the soft dirt, and nosed over, resulting in structural damage.
An inspector with the Federal Aviation Administration reported that the remains of a large goose were found in the cockpit. Approximately 70 percent of the windshield broke out of the frame.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7025S
- Reported as
- Cessna 150H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15067725
- Airframe hours
- 3,292
- Engine
- Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Dillon'S Aviation
- Registered owner
- Joyner, John B.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 3, 1995 · 100 hours before
- Departed
- PGV · Greenville, NC
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
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,173 total · 400 in this make and model · 1,121 as pilot in command · 253 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EWN, 27 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.