- Date
- August 9, 2003, 20:40 local (Aug 10, 2003, 01:40 UTC)
- Place
- Litchfield, IL
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N3258WPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report June 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-Springfield FSDO
- FAA report
- 20030810021249A
- Case key
- 57705
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 animal wandered onto the runway and collided with the airplane. A factor was the night light condition.
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.
Analysis
The airplane was damaged when it struck a deer during the landing roll at night. The pilot reported that he performed a low approach to check the runway condition prior to executing the landing. The pilot reported that one deer ran across the runway while the airplane was on the landing roll and shortly afterward, a second deer ran onto the runway and was struck by the airplane.
Factual narrative
On August 9, 2003, at 2040 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32-260, N3258W, piloted by a commercial pilot, sustained substantial damage when it struck a deer while landing on runway 36 (4,003 feet by 75 feet, concrete) at Litchfield Municipal Airport (3LF), Litchfield, Illinois. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and his three passengers reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The flight departed from St. Louis Regional Airport, Alton, Illinois, approximately at 2025
According to the pilot, he was flying to 3LF to conduct some night full-stop landings. He performed a low approach to check out the runway, then the pilot performed an uneventful approach and landing. As the airplane was slowing down, and before he started to brake, he saw a deer run across the runway in front of the airplane. Shortly after seeing the first deer, the airplane impacted a second deer which ran onto the runway. The airplane was damaged on the left fuselage and the left wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3258W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-81
- Airframe hours
- 4,259
- Engine
- Lycoming 054-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James Clifton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 2002 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- ALN · Alton, IL
- Destination
- 3LF · Litchfield, IL
- Airport
- 3LF · Litchfield Muni, runway 36, 4,003 × 75 ft, concrete
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
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Military, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,321 total · 56 in this make and model · 4,118 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 340° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- ALN, 24 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.
Other investigations on N3258W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.