- Date
- August 26, 2023, 13:42 local (17:42 UTC)
- Place
- West Lafayette, IN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N767PAPiper PA-44-180
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Birdstrike
- 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 FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230826012139I
- Case key
- 192952
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 in-flight collision with a bird during initial climb.
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 flight instructor reported that during the initial climb, about 600 ft above ground level, his student observed a bird under the nose of the airplane. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and maneuvered the airplane in an attempt to avoid the bird. The bird went over the top of the airplane and struck the vertical stabilizer, which resulted in substantial damage. The flight instructor landed the airplane without further incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N767PA
- Reported as
- Piper PA-44-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4496114
- Built
- 2002
- Airframe hours
- 7,442.1
- Engines
- Lycoming O-360 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming O-360 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Purdue Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Purdue Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 22, 2023
- Departed
- LAF · Lafayette, IN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- LAF · Purdue University
- Equipment
- 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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 818 total · 62 in this make and model · 767 as pilot in command · 242 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 283 total · 12 in this make and model · 271 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KLAF
- METAR
- KLAF 261754Z 01009KT 10SM OVC018 27/21 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP143 T02670211 10272 20217 58004=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 22, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.