CHI01LA301

NTSB accident investigation · Cessna 150L · Madison, WI · September 1, 2001

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
August 31, 2001, 19:47 local (Sep 1, 2001, 00:47 UTC)
Place
Madison, WI
Injuries
2 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Landing
Aircraft
N19302Cessna 150L
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Dusk
Status
Completed · report November 28, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
Parties
FAA
FAA report
20010831026309A
Case key
53273

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The deer which struck the empennage of the airplane during the landing flare.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

On ground/water collision with objectLanding - roll
Object - animal(s)Cause

Analysis

The airplane was struck by a deer while landing. The pilot reported that the passenger reported seeing a small deer off the right side of the runway when the airplane was in the landing flare. The pilot reported that just prior to the nose touching down he heard a loud sound which he likened to a low frequency clunk. He reported that he did not have any difficulty in controlling the airplane during the remainder of the landing. The passenger reported to the pilot that she looked back and saw a deer climbing to its feet and running into the brush beside the runway. The pilot taxied to the ramp and upon inspecting the airplane he discovered "...the empennage had been destabilized to the right. There was remnant of animal fur on the left lateral leading edge of left stabilizers."

Factual narrative

On August 31, 2001, at 1947 central daylight time, a Cessna 150L, N19302, was struck by a deer while landing on runway 09 (2,146 feet by 56 feet, asphalt) at the Blackhawk Airfield, Madison, Wisconsin. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane received substantial damage to the empennage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The local flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from the Blackhawk Airfield at 1915.

The pilot reported that the passenger reported seeing a small deer off the right side of the runway when the airplane was in the landing flare. The pilot reported that just prior to the nose touching down he heard a loud sound which he likened to a low frequency clunk. He reported that he did not have any difficulty in controlling the airplane during the remainder of the landing. The passenger reported to the pilot that she looked back and saw a deer climbing to its feet and running into the brush beside the runway. The pilot taxied to the ramp and upon inspecting the airplane he discovered "...the empennage had been destabilized to the right. There was remnant of animal fur on the left lateral leading edge of left stabilizers."

Aircraft

Registration
N19302
Reported as
Cessna 150L
Category
Airplane
Serial number
15074319
Airframe hours
3,074
Engine
Continental O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Registered owner
Mark A. Neumann
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · August 10, 2001 · 5 hours before
Departed
87Y · Madison, WI
Destination
87Y · Madison, WI
Airport
87Y · Blackhawk, runway 09, 2,146 × 56 ft, asphalt

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
47
Injuries
None
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
Last flight review
December 24, 2000
Seat
Left
Flight hours
180 total · 151 in this make and model · 115 as pilot in command

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Dusk
Wind
40° at 6 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
61 °F, dew point 54 °F
Altimeter
30.02 inHg
Observed at
MSN, 7 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.