- Date
- December 28, 2024, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Monticello, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N478SADiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NG
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: 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
- 20241228018689A
- Case key
- 199491
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 on-ground collision with a deer on the runway during the landing roll.
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 reported that while in the landing rollout, he saw a deer on the runway and immediately started to apply brakes; however, the deer walked into the airplane. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot stated that there were no preaccident failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N478SA
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 40.NC208
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 384
- Engine
- Austro E4-A, 168 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- M U D Y Properties LLC
- Registered owner
- M U D Y Properties LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 5, 2024
- Departed
- DBQ · Dubuque, IA
- Destination
- MXO · Monticello, IA
- Airport
- MXO · Monticello Regional, runway 15, 4,400 × 75 ft, concrete
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- August 18, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 495 total · 227 in this make and model · 416 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.89 inHg
- Observed at
- KMXO
- METAR
- KMXO 282055Z AUTO 20005KT 10SM CLR 10/08 A2989
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 22, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.1 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.