- Date
- July 12, 2024, 05:30 local (10:30 UTC)
- Place
- Saint James, MN
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3ECCovington Edward L SHA-GLASAIR
- Defining event
- Approach: 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 Flight Standards
- FAA report
- 20240712011319A
- Case key
- 194696
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 bird strike which resulted in an engine compartment fire that ultimately destroyed the airplane.
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 he was on approach to land when he saw birds in his peripheral vision and then heard and felt them impact his airplane. The pilot landed, taxied to the runup pad, and shut down the engine because he smelled something burning. After exiting the airplane, he saw smoke. The pilot used the on-board fire extinguisher in an attempt to extinguish the engine compartment fire but was unsuccessful, and the fire subsequently destroyed the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3EC
- Reported as
- Covington Edward L SHA-GLASAIR
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 484R
- Built
- 1986
- Airframe hours
- 2,107
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · July 12, 2023
- Departed
- KFRM · Farimont, MN
- Destination
- KJYG · St James, MN
- Airport
- JYG · St James Municipal, runway 15, 3,999 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, ADS-B
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 29, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 22,973 total · 665 in this make and model · 12,123 as pilot in command · 185 in the last 90 days · 74 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KJYG
- METAR
- METAR KJYG 121135Z AUTO 16005KT 8SM CLR 18/18 A3006
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 10, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.2 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.