- Date
- September 6, 2006, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cedar Rapids, IA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2430ACessna T206H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA-Des Moines FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060906025949A
- Case key
- 64674
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 in-flight collision with a bird during climb to cruise altitude.
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 pilot stated that the flight was climbing through 3,000 feet mean sea level to the assigned cruise altitude. He reported that a bird appeared from below the airplane's nose. He reportedly "banked right to try and avoid contact." Unfortunately he was not successful and the bird struck the left wing. The pilot stated: "The damage caused the airplane to be difficult to control, so I declared [an] emergency and returned [to the departure airport]." He subsequently landed without further incident. The post accident inspection revealed leading edge crushing of the left wing, aft to the forward spar, between the wing strut and the landing light assembly.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that the flight was climbing through 3,000 feet mean sea level to the assigned cruise altitude. He reported that a bird appeared from below the airplane's nose. He reportedly "banked right to try and avoid contact." Unfortunately he was not successful and the bird struck the left wing. The pilot stated: "The damage caused the airplane to be difficult to control, so I declared [an] emergency and returned [to the departure airport]." He subsequently landed without further incident.
The post accident inspection revealed leading edge crushing of the left wing, aft to the forward spar, between the wing strut and the landing light assembly.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2430A
- Reported as
- Cessna T206H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- T20608609
- Airframe hours
- 70
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cessna Aircraft Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 1, 2006
- Departed
- CID · Cedar Rapids, IA
- Destination
- ICT · Wichita, KS
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 29
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,501 total · 42 in this make and model · 1,402 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.10 inHg
- Observed at
- CID
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.