- Date
- November 5, 2008, 17:35 local (23:35 UTC)
- Place
- Hutchinson, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5556RCessna 172F
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20081105851539A
- Case key
- 69409
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
The bird that the airplane struck while on final approach.
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 the airplane he was flying impacted a bird during landing while on a local flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane he was flying impacted a bird during landing while on a local flight. He said that he was at 50 feet above ground, 100 feet from the approach end of the runway, descending at 300 feet per minute, and was at 80 mph when the airplane’s right wing impacted the bird. The right wing lost lift. He stated that he applied full left rudder, full left aileron, and full engine power. He said that he landed with "moderate impact" on the main landing gear.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5556R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17253145
- Airframe hours
- 2,283.9
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Walling Stephen L
- Registered owner
- Walling Stephen L
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 27, 2008
- Departed
- HCD · Hutchinson, MN
- Destination
- HCD · Hutchinson, MN
- Airport
- HCD · Hutchinson Municipal Airport, runway 15, 4,000 × 75 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 289 total · 240 in this make and model · 250 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.69 inHg
- Observed at
- HCD
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.