- Date
- September 13, 2013, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Princeton, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N526PUPiper PA-28-161
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Minneapolis FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130913016469A
- Case key
- 88052
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 bald eagle.
Findings · 3
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 flight instructor reported that the student pilot was flying S-turns over a road at 1,000 feet above ground level when a bald eagle struck the right horizontal stabilizer. The flight instructor took the controls, declared an emergency, and proceeded to land at the nearest airport. The control yoke was “buffeting,” but the engine continued to run smoothly. On final approach, the flight instructor noticed that the rudder controls were impaired; however, the wind was calm so the landing was without incident. The examination of the airplane revealed that there was a large indentation on the right horizontal stabilizer with bird feathers embedded in it. The right side of the horizontal stabilizer was canted. In addition, the tail cone had been pushed upward and was in contact with the rudder, impeding its movement.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot was flying S-turns over a road at 1,000 feet above ground level when a bald eagle struck the right horizontal stabilizer. The flight instructor took the controls, declared an emergency, and proceeded to land at the nearest airport. The control yoke was “buffeting,” but the engine continued to run smoothly. On final approach, the flight instructor noticed that the rudder controls were impaired; however, the wind was calm so the landing was without incident. The examination of the airplane revealed that there was a large indentation on the right horizontal stabilizer with bird feathers embedded in it. The right side of the horizontal stabilizer was canted. In addition, the tail cone had been pushed upward and was in contact with the rudder, impeding its movement.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N526PU
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2841191
- Airframe hours
- 13,891
- Engine
- Lycoiming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Thunderbird Aviation
- Registered owner
- Metro Aircraft Co
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 13, 2013
- Departed
- MIC · Crystal, MN
- Destination
- MIC · Crystal, MN
- Airport
- PNM · Princeton Municipal Airport
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 4, 2011
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,420 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 3,134 as pilot in command · 116 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 60 in this make and model · 11 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- PNM, 5 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 25, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.9 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.