- Date
- October 10, 2014, 19:59 local (23:59 UTC)
- Place
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2817XPiper PA-28-181
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report November 13, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration;East Michigan FSDO
- FAA report
- 20141010018449A
- Case key
- 90267
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 deer during a night takeoff.
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 pilot reported that the accident occurred as she was practicing nighttime takeoffs and landings. During the takeoff roll, as the airplane was rotating for liftoff, the airplane collided with a deer on the runway. The pilot immediately aborted the takeoff on the remaining runway. Following the accident a portion of the deer was found wrapped around the nose landing gear. Further examination revealed substantial damage to the forward fuselage and firewall as result of the collision with the deer. The pilot reported that, before the collision with the deer, there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the accident occurred as she was practicing nighttime takeoffs and landings. During the takeoff roll, as the airplane was rotating for liftoff, the airplane collided with a deer on the runway. The pilot immediately aborted the takeoff on the remaining runway. Following the accident a portion of the deer was found wrapped around the nose landing gear. Further examination revealed substantial damage to the forward fuselage and firewall as result of the collision with the deer. The pilot reported that, before the collision with the deer, there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2817X
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7990457
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 6,693
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- BVD Co Flying Club
- Registered owner
- BVD Co Flying Club
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 20, 2014 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- ARB · Ann Arbor, MI
- Destination
- ARB · Ann Arbor, MI
- Airport
- ARB · Ann Arbor Municipal Airport, runway 06, 3,505 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Stall warning system, Auto-pilot, Handheld GPS
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 2, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,000 total · 473 in this make and model · 827 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 20° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- ARB
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 10, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.