- Date
- December 29, 2013, 14:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Paradis, LA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N491CCCessna 182N
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20131229024429I
- Case key
- 88604
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 collision with a bird which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.
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 was flying over a bayou canal when a large bird contacted the leading edge of the right wing. He stated he immediately felt a vibration in the control yoke, and had to apply left aileron and left rudder to keep the airplane from rolling to the right. The pilot assessed the aircraft's control capability and decided to return to his departure airport. As he approached the airport, the pilot extended 10 degrees of flaps and slowed the airspeed to 120 mph, still applying left aileron and rudder. While on final approach, as the airspeed reached 90 to 100 mph, the right wing dropped and the airplane rolled between 45 and 90 degrees to the right. The pilot added full power, retracted the flaps, and applied full left aileron and left rudder. The airplane descended to an altitude of 100 feet before the pilot was able to level the wings and begin a climb. The pilot decided to land at the larger nearby airport so that he would have a longer runway and could land at a higher than normal airspeed. The pilot landed the airplane without further incident. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edge of the right wing.
Factual narrative
The pilot was flying at 840 feet over a bayou canal when a large bird contacted the leading edge of the right wing. The pilot stated he thought the bird was possibly either an eagle or a vulture. He stated he immediately felt a vibration in the control yoke, and had to apply left aileron and left rudder to keep the airplane from rolling to the right. The pilot assessed the aircraft's control capability and decided to return to the St. Charles Airport (LS40). The pilot contacted the air traffic control (ATC) at the nearby New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and requested that there be emergency vehicles standing by at LS40 when he landed. As he approached the airport, the pilot extended 10 degrees of flaps and slowed the airspeed to 120 mph, still applying left aileron and rudder. The pilot turned the airplane to final approach and the continued to decrease the airspeed to land. As the airspeed reached 90 to 100 mph, the right wing dropped and the airplane rolled between 45 and 90 degrees to the right. The pilot added full power, retracted the flaps, and applied full left aileron and left rudder. The airplane descended to an altitude of 100 feet before the pilot was able to level the wings and begin a climb. The pilot realized he needed to keep the airspeed above 120 mph to maintain control of the airplane so he contacted the ATC tower at MSY and requested to land there so that he would have a longer runway and could land at a higher than normal airspeed. The pilot landed the airplane at MSY without further incident. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the leading edge of the right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N491CC
- Reported as
- Cessna 182N (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18260654
- Built
- 1971
- Airframe hours
- 4,396.8
- Engine
- Cont Motor O-470, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Will R. DuFrene, Jr.
- Registered owner
- Will R. DuFrene, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 2013 · 7 hours before
- Departed
- LS40 · Ama, LA
- Destination
- MSY · Bayou Gauche, LA
- Airport
- MSY · Louis Armstrong New Orleans In, runway 01, 7,001 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 50
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,587.3 total · 103.5 in this make and model · 1,567.3 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 1.2 in the last 30 days · 0.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- MSY, 17 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 29, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.
Other investigations on N491CC · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.