# NTSB CEN10TA194: Beech 95-B55, N70283, Center, ND, April 7, 2010 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Final report - Date: April 6, 2010, 21:51 local (Apr 7, 2010, 02:51 UTC) - Place: Center, ND - Coordinates: 47.115001, -101.300277 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.1150&lon=-101.3003&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Birdstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report August 12, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - Fargo FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 75678 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN10TA194 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/75678/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75678 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10TA194 ## Probable cause The inadvertent in-flight collision with several Mallard ducks. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Object/animal/substance: animal(s)/bird(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech 95-B55, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md?model=1152705), [All aircraft, 358 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: animal(s)/bird(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Beech 95-B55, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md?model=1152705), [All aircraft, 358 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-descent: Birdstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901) (defining event); cases with it: [Beech 95-B55, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901/sequence.md?model=1152705), [All aircraft, 253 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901/sequence.md) ## Analysis The airplane collided with several Mallard ducks during an instructional flight in night visual meteorological conditions. The pilot-in-command reported that, as the airplane was descending through 4,200 feet, he heard a “loud pop” and felt a “violent rush of air.” The flight instructor, seated in the right seat, sustained serious injuries when one duck penetrated the right cockpit windshield and struck his face. The pilot-in-command seated in the left seat was not injured. The flight crew decided to return to the departure airport and made an uneventful landing. A postaccident inspection revealed that the airplane had received substantial structural damage to the right wing leading edge. All observed damage to the windshield and nose cone was consistent with the airplane colliding with several birds during flight. ## Factual narrative On April 6, 2010, at 2151 central daylight time, a Beech 95-B55, N70283, sustained substantial damage when it impacted several Mallard ducks during cruise flight at 4,200 feet over Center, North Dakota. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight instructor, seated in the right seat, sustained serious injuries when one duck penetrated the right cockpit windshield and struck his face. The pilot-in-command seated in the left seat was not injured. The flight was being operated by the State of North Dakota Attorney General’s Office as a public-use flight. The instructional flight departed Bismarck Municipal Airport (KBIS), Bismarck, North Dakota, at 2025, and was enroute to Mercer County Regional Airport (KHZE), Hazen, North Dakota. After the bird strike, the pilot-in-command diverted back to the departure airport and made an uneventful landing. At the time of the bird strike, the pilot-in-command was flying while using a view-limiting device to simulate instrument meteorological conditions. He reported that as the airplane was descending through 4,200 feet, he heard a “loud pop” and felt a “violent rush of air”. After the bird strike, there were several large portions of the right windshield missing and the flight instructor was bleeding from his face. The flight crew decided to return to KBIS instead of continuing to KHZE. The PIC declared an emergency with Bismarck approach control and requested that an ambulance meet the airplane after landing. A post-accident inspection revealed that the airplane had received substantial structural damage to the right cockpit windshield, right wing leading edge, and nose cone. All observed damage was consistent with the airplane colliding with several birds during flight. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N70283](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N70283), registered now, S/N TF45, built 1965 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH 95-B55 - Registry model: [Beech 95-B55](https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-95-b55) (registry code 1152705) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: TF45 - Airframe hours: 11093 - Engines: Teledyne Continental Motors IO-470-L 260 horsepower reciprocating; Teledyne Continental Motors IO-470-L 260 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Public aircraft - state, Public use - Operator: North Dakota Attorney General - Registered owner: North Dakota Attorney General - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 18, 2009 - Departed: KBIS, Bismarck, ND - Destination: KHZE, Hazen, ND ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 49; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 8, 2009; seat: left; flight hours: 1,335 total, 1,147 in this make and model, 2 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours - Flight instructor; age 61; injuries: serious; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review July 25, 2008; seat: right; flight hours: 8,279 total, 90 in this make and model, 22 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night/dark - Wind: 50° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 41 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 29.96 inHg - Observed at: KBIS, 32 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20100406030999A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100406030999A), Apr 6, 2010: Beech 95-B55, Center, ND, Substantial damage. The aircraft and crew were on a night training flight for the public use operator. The pilot started his decent from 4500 feet to 4000 feet for the GPS… ## Docket (1 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 26, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=75678. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40329518&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.