- Date
- November 20, 2021, 10:24 local (15:24 UTC)
- Place
- Marshall, MI
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N22WUCirrus Design SR20
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20211120019699A
- Case key
- 104299
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 during takeoff.
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
During the transition to takeoff while performing a touch and go, the pilot and flight instructor noticed a deer that ran out from tall grass adjacent to the runway. With the airplane already airborne, the flight crew was unable to avoid the deer. The deer impacted the right wing’s leading edge and wing flap bracket. The flight crew elected to continue the takeoff and returned to the departure airport, which had a longer runway for the landing. The airplane landed without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed the airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22WU
- Reported as
- Cirrus Design SR20
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1647
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 6,999
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental Motors IO-360-ES, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Western Michigan University College of Aviation
- Registered owner
- Board Of Trustees Of Western Michigan University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · November 9, 2021
- Departed
- BTL · Battle Creek, MI
- Airport
- RMY · Brooks Fld, runway 10/28, 3,501 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Airframe parachute, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 26, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 269 total · 100 in this make and model · 182 as pilot in command · 48 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 5, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 173 total · 116 in this make and model · 77 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- RMY
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 16, 2021, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 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.