- Date
- October 1, 2010, 21:00 local (Oct 2, 2010, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sparta, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N759BJCessna 182Q
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA-GRR-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101001047999A
- Case key
- 77622
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 inadvertent collision with a deer during a night takeoff.
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
Just after the airplane lifted off the runway surface during the night takeoff, the pilot observed two deer crossing the runway from left to right. He stated that one deer was in front of him and the other was to the left of his path. He pulled back on the yoke in an attempt to avoid the deer at which time he heard a loud "bang." The pilot reported that he missed the deer that he observed and contacted a third deer that he did not see. The pilot continued the flight to his destination where he made an uneventful landing. The injured deer was located at the departure airport. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
The pilot observed two deer crossing the runway from left to right just after he rotated during the night takeoff. He stated one deer was in front of him and the other was to the left of his path. He pulled back on the yoke in an attempt to avoid the deer at which time he heard a loud "bang." The pilot reported he believes he missed the deer that he observed and contacted a third deer that he did not see. The pilot continued the flight to his destination where he made an uneventful landing. The injured deer was located at the departure airport. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator sustained substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N759BJ
- Reported as
- Cessna 182Q
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18265860
- Airframe hours
- 4,596
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kenneth A. Thompson
- Registered owner
- Mohawk Flying Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 5, 2010 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- 8D4 · Sparta, MI
- Destination
- GRR · Grand Rapids, MI
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- 8D4 · Miller - Sparta Airport, runway 25, 4,033 × 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 568 total · 143 in this make and model · 504 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- GRR, 16 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 22, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 647 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.
Other investigations on N759BJ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.