- Date
- April 19, 2010, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Muskegon, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N969SHTrue Flight Holdings AA-5B
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20100419034629A
- Case key
- 75801
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 inadvertent in-flight collision with a goose.
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 he was in cruise flight at 2,500 feet above mean sea level and was flying with an airspeed of about 120 knots. He saw a goose pass from left to right just above the engine cowl. The airplane sustained substantial damage when the bird struck the right wing. He declared an emergency to an air traffic controller and diverted to an airport. He stated that the smell of fuel was present during the emergency landing and that he landed without further incident.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was in cruise at 2,500 feet above mean sea level and was flying with an airspeed of about 120 knots. He saw a goose pass from left to right just above the engine cowl. The airplane sustained substantial damage when the bird struck the right wing. He declared an emergency to an air traffic controller and diverted to an airport. He stated that the smell of fuel was present during the emergency landing and he landed without further incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N969SH
- Reported as
- True Flight Holdings AA-5B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5B-0418
- Airframe hours
- 3,100
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-360-A4K, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 15, 2009
- Departed
- FFX · Freemont, MI
- Destination
- 3GM · Grand Haven, MI
- Airport
- MKG · Muskegon County Airport
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
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,210 total · 70 in this make and model · 2,820 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- MKG, 10 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 5, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 682 KB 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.