- Date
- June 5, 2009, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Sellersburg, IN
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N73HHCessna 550
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-Cincinnati FSDO
- FAA report
- 20090605857199A
- Case key
- 74222
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 a large bird during the airplane's initial climb.
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 stated that a large bird struck the nose of the airplane during its initial climb. The flight was about 1 mile north of the airport, 1,000 feet above ground level, at the time. The pilot elected to continue the approximately 20-minute flight to the intended destination, and the flight was completed without further incident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. A postaccident examination revealed impact damage to the nosecone and underlying airframe support structure.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that a large bird struck the nose of the airplane during initial climb after takeoff. The flight was about 1 mile north of the airport, 1,000 feet above ground level, at the time. The pilot elected to continue the approximate 20-minute flight to the intended destination, and the flight was completed without further incident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. A post accident examination revealed impact damage to the nose cone and underlying airframe support structure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73HH
- Reported as
- Cessna 550
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 550-0682
- Airframe hours
- 3,095
- Engines
- P&W Canada JT15D-4, turbo fanP&W Canada JT15D-4, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- M & L Airways Inc
- Registered owner
- M & L Airways Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · December 1, 2008
- Departed
- JVY · Sellersburg, IN
- Destination
- PMH · Portsmouth, OH
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- JVY · Clark Regional, runway 36, 5,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 1, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,450 total · 1,550 in this make and model · 14,039 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F
- Observed at
- JVY, 1 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.