# NTSB CEN25LA180: Excalibur Excalibur, N4831A, Mountain View Airport, MO, May 18, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: May 18, 2025, 14:20 local (19:20 UTC)
- Place: Mountain View Airport, MO
- Coordinates: 36.992833, -91.714472
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.9928&lon=-91.7145&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Enroute: Birdstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200173
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA180
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200173/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200173
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA180

## Probable cause

An in-flight collision with a bird while enroute.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Object/animal/substance: animal(s)/bird(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Excalibur EXCALIBUR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md?model=05902ZN), [All aircraft, 358 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md)
- [Object/animal/substance: animal(s)/bird(s)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Ability to respond/compensate (probable cause); cases with it: [Excalibur EXCALIBUR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md?model=05902ZN), [All aircraft, 358 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022045/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Enroute: Birdstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901) (defining event); cases with it: [Excalibur EXCALIBUR, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901/sequence.md?model=05902ZN), [All aircraft, 253 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/901/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot reported that while flying about 1,500 ft above ground level, a large bird struck the right side of the airplane and the right main landing gear separated from its attachment point. The pilot flew back to the airport and performed a soft field landing in the grass adjacent to the taxiway. Post accident examination revealed substantial damage to the right side of the fuselage.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N4831A](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4831A), registered now, S/N 102898 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: EXCALIBUR EXCALIBUR
- Registry model: [Excalibur EXCALIBUR](https://openairdocs.org/model/excalibur-excalibur) (registry code 05902ZN) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Rotax 503ULDCDI](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rotax-503uldcdi) (registry code 55568, 2 cycle) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 102898
- Year built: 2007
- Airframe hours: 170
- Engines: ROTAX 503UL 53 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal; Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Departed: KMNF, MOUNTAIN VIEW, MO
- Destination: KMNF, MOUNTAIN VIEW, MO
- Airport: KMNF, Mountain View
- Equipment: Handheld GPS

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 47; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: basicmed, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 1, 2024; seat: front; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 1,355 total, 5 in this make and model, 1,345 as pilot in command, 10 in the last 90 days, 5 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Day
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 65 °F
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observed at: KUNO, 11 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250518005609A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250518005609A), May 18, 2025: Excalibur Aircraft EXCALIBUR, Mountain View, MO, Substantial damage. An experimental light sport aircraft with one passenger was flying at approximately 1500 AGL. A large bird struck the RH MLG, causing it to separate from the…

## Docket (2 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 28, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200173. 5.5 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 3.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19059380&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 2, PDF, 3 pages, 2.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19059390&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.