- Date
- November 22, 1997, 18:00 local (Nov 23, 1997, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeville, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1447HPiper PA-28
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19971122038629A
- Case key
- 10789
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
geese that were encounter on an ILS final approach. Darkness was a related factor.
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 reported they were flying a practice ILS-Localizer approach and had intercepted the localizer when the airplane collided with waterfowl. The flight continued to the airport, where an successful landing was made. Postaccident inspection revealed the airplane had been struck by approximately 10 geese.
Factual narrative
On November 22, 1997, at 1800 central standard time (cst), a Piper PA-28-140, N1447H, operated by a private instrument pilot and a certified flight instructor collided with approximately 10 geese during an approach into the Airlake Airport, Lakeville, Minnesota. The airplane was substantially damaged. Neither pilot was injured. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was being conducted in visual meteorological conditions. The flight originated from the Flying Cloud Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota, at 1730 cst.
The pilot reported they were flying a practice ILS-Localizer approach to runway 29 at the Airlake Airport when the accident occurred. He reported they had been vectored for the approach and had intercepted the localizer when the airplane was struck by waterfowl. He reported that after the strike they experienced smoke in the cockpit which was a result of some of the waterfowl remains inside the engine cowling. The pilot stated they reported the strike to air traffic control and continued to Airlake Airport where a full stop landing was made.
Post accident inspection of the airplane revealed that it had been struck by approximately 10 geese.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1447H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7725144
- Airframe hours
- 3,737
- Engine
- Lycoming, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David E. Markovich
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 21, 1997 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- FCM · Minneapolis, MN
- Destination
- Y12
- Airport
- LVN · Airlake
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 528 total · 260 in this make and model · 527 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 250° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -4 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.