- Date
- September 29, 2020, 22:50 local (Sep 30, 2020, 03:50 UTC)
- Place
- Higginsville, MO · rwy 16
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N461CMCessna 172
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200929016269A
- Case key
- 102070
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 on the runway during takeoff at night.
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 had just completed a full stop landing at night. During the subsequent takeoff roll, a deer collided with the left side of the airplane and became entangled in the wing strut. After the collision, the pilot stopped the airplane on the runway without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right side of the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N461CM
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (T42A)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17280853
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 160 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- University Of Central Missouri
- Registered owner
- University Of Central Missouri
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- RCM · Warrensburg, MO
- Airport
- KHIG · Higginsville Industrial Municipal Airport, runway 16, 4,400 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator
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
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 95 total · 95 in this make and model · 60 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.86 inHg
- Observed at
- KMHL, 22 nm away
- METAR
- KMHL 300335Z AUTO 21005KT 10SM CLR 12/07 A2986 RMK AO2
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 14, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 561 KB 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.