- Date
- July 6, 2012, 20:30 local (Jul 7, 2012, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ray Township, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N26181Grumman American AA-5A
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 13, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20120706014119A
- Case key
- 84193
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 airplane’s collision with a deer that ran in front of the airplane during the landing roll.
Findings · 2
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
After the airplane touched down, the pilot noticed two deer on the left side of the runway. One deer ran across the runway and was struck by the airplane’s left wing tip. The impact caused the airplane to veer off the left side of the runway onto the grass. The pilot raised the flaps, applied right brake/rudder and full power in an attempt to go around. The airplane lifted off momentarily and then struck a runway light. The pilot abandoned the go-around attempt. The airplane traveled across the runway and stopped in an open field. Both of the wings sustained leading edge damage, the nose gear was sheared off, and the lower engine cowling was crushed. The underside of the fuselage and the right horizontal stabilizer were also substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact anomalies with the airplane.
Factual narrative
During landing touchdown the pilot noticed two deer to the left of the runway. One deer ran across the runway and was struck by the airplane’s left wing tip. The impact caused the airplane to veer to the left off the runway and onto the grass median. The pilot raised the flaps, applied right brake/rudder and full power in an attempt to go-around. The airplane lifted off momentarily, and then struck a runway light. The pilot abandoned the go-around attempt. The airplane traveled across the runway into an open bean field and stopped. Both wings sustained leading edge damage, the nose gear was sheared off, and the lower engine cowling was crushed. The underside of the fuselage and the right horizontal stabilizer were also substantially damaged. The pilot reported no preimpact anomalies with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26181
- Reported as
- Grumman American AA-5A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- AA5A0469
- Airframe hours
- 4,635
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320-E2G, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Berz Flight Training, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Snoopy Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 2, 2012
- Departed
- K57D · Ray Township, MI
- Destination
- K57D · Ray Township, MI
- Airport
- K57D · Ray Community Airport, runway 09, 2,494 × 50 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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 19, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 213 total · 2 in this make and model · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 22,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KMTC, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 17, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.