- Date
- December 30, 2019, 15:05 local (21:05 UTC)
- Place
- Granbury, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N519RVVans RV 10
- Defining event
- Approach: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 16, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191230020679A
- Case key
- 100744
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 impact with a bird while on approach.
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
The pilot reported that, while in the traffic pattern and turning from base to final, a large bird impacted the leading edge of the right wing, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing structure and made the airplane difficult to control. The pilot was able to land safely on the intended runway. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that while in the traffic pattern and turning from base to final, a large bird impacted the leading edge of the right wing, which resulted in substantial damage to the wing structure and made the airplane difficult to control. The pilot was able to land safely on the intended runway. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N519RV
- Reported as
- Vans RV 10 (No Series)
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 40250
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 1,236
- Engine
- Lycoming IO540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Condition · December 1, 2019
- Departed
- 66TE · Granbury, TX
- Destination
- Granbury, TX
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Data recorder, Auto-pilot
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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 21, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,647 total · 1,556 in this make and model · 1,604 as pilot in command · 4.5 in the last 90 days · 4.5 in the last 30 days · 0.6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 10 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.18 inHg
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- KGDJ, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 27, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.3 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.