- Date
- December 26, 2003, 17:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Waterloo, IA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7575VCessna 177RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report July 29, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Des Moines FSDO
- FAA report
- 20031226035839I
- Case key
- 58586
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 impact with a deer during landing roll. A contributing factor was the night lighting conditions.
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 sustained substantial damage during landing roll when it impacted a deer. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Factual narrative
On December 26, 2003, at 1715 central standard time, a Cessna 177RG, N7575V, owned and piloted by a private pilot, received substantial damage impacting a deer during landing roll on runway 18 (6,002 feet by 150 feet, grooved asphalt) at Waterloo Municipal Airport (ALO), Waterloo, Iowa. Night visual metrological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The private pilot and airline transport pilot rated passenger were uninjured. The flight originated from ALO at 1500, flew to Mason City Municipal Airport, Mason City, Iowa, and flew to Fort Dodge Regional Airport (FOD), Fort Dodge, Iowa, and then returned to ALO.
The purpose of flight was to practice with the airplane's newly installed global positioning system (GPS) receiver. After departing FOD, the pilot returned to ALO where he performed a GPS approach to runway 18. During landing roll out, just beyond the intersection of runways 18 and 12, a deer, seen by the right seat pilot, impacted an area near the right horizontal stabilizer. The airplane was then taxied back to the hangar.
According to an airframe and power plant mechanic, the tail area sustained damage. This consisted of damaged attachment fittings found in the tail section. The aft section of the lower and upper fuselage skin was damaged. Brackets in the tail cone "stinger" area were also damaged.
Astronomical data for the day of the accident states that sunset was at 1643 and end of civil twilight was at 1715.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7575V
- Reported as
- Cessna 177RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177RG0866
- Airframe hours
- 2,104.4
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-AIB6D, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Noel A Robitaille
- Registered owner
- Noel A. Robitaille
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 3, 2003 · 14.3 hours before
- Departed
- ALO · Waterloo, IA
- Destination
- ALO · Waterloo, IA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ALO · Waterloo Muni, runway 18, 6,002 × 150 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- May 7, 2003
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,386 total · 1,059 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 75
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2003
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 130° at 15 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- ALO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.