- Date
- December 20, 2021, 18:45 local (Dec 21, 2021, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Dubuque, IA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N287CBTextron 525
- Defining event
- Approach: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- 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
- 20211220021309A
- Case key
- 104447
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
An inflight collision with a flock of geese that resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer.
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 reported that while on a visual approach, the airplane impacted a flock of geese, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer. He stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N287CB
- Reported as
- Textron 525
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 525-0942
- Built
- 2017
- Airframe hours
- 1,795.3
- Engines
- Williams FJ44-1AP-21, 1,965 lbs thrust, turbo fanWilliams FJ44-1AP-21, 1,965 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Cottingham & Butler Insurance Services Inc
- Registered owner
- Cottingham & Butler Insurance Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KCAE · Columbia, SC
- Destination
- KDBQ · Dubuque, IA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- DBQ
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 1, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 5,856 total · 1,612 in this make and model · 5,269 as pilot in command · 68 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 10, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 2,127 total · 1,279 in this make and model · 1,184 as pilot in command · 76 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KDBK, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 18, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.8 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.