# NTSB DEN00LA166: Cessna 340A, N844YT, Big Piney, WY, September 8, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: September 7, 2000, 19:45 local (Sep 8, 2000, 01:45 UTC) - Place: Big Piney, WY - Coordinates: 42.539882, -110.110534 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5399&lon=-110.1105&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 4 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 2, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 50217 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN00LA166 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50217/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN00LA166 ## Probable cause Collision with animals during the takeoff roll. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - On ground/water collision with object, takeoff - roll/run - object - animal(s) (cause) ## Analysis During takeoff roll, at about 95 knots, the aircraft collided with two antelope. The antelope were crossing the runway from left to right and the aircraft impacted them with the nose landing gear and right engine propeller. Damage occurred to the nose gear assembly, nose wheel well keel beam and right engine propeller. Dusk conditions existed at the time and the visibility was approximately 10 miles. There was no animal protective fencing or other animal control devices installed at the airport which is uncontrolled. ## Factual narrative On September 7, 2000, at 1945 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 340A, N844YT, sustained substantial damage when it collided with two antelope during takeoff roll at Big Piney, Wyoming. The airline transport certificated pilot and his three passengers were not injured. No flight plan was filed for this Title 14 CFR Part 91 business flight en route to Casper, Wyoming. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. According to the pilot, the aircraft was at about 95 knots indicated airspeed during takeoff roll on runway 31 when it struck two antelope that were crossing the runway from left to right. The pilot said both animals missed the left engine and were struck by the nose landing gear assembly and the right engine propeller. Damage was sustained to the right propeller, nose landing gear assembly, and the keel beam in the nose wheel well was buckled. Following the collision, the takeoff roll was successfully aborted. Both antelope were fatally injured. Following the collision, the pilot taxied the aircraft back to the ramp and later notified the FAA via the Casper, Flight Standards Field Office. Light conditions at the time of the accident were dusk conditions with slight haze and the recorded visibility was 10 miles. A review of airport data at the Big Piney Airport revealed that the airport is not controlled and no animal protective fencing or other animal control devices are installed. ## Aircraft - Registration: N844YT (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: Cessna 340A - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 1271 - Airframe hours: 4550 - Engines: Continental TSIO-520-NB 310 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Business, Part 91 - Registered owner: True Drilling, LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Continuous airworthiness, September 5, 2000, 8 hours before - Departed: Q - Destination: CPR, CASPER, WY - Airport: BPI, Big Piney, runway 31, 6,803 × 75 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; flight hours: 11,862 total, 1,100 in this make and model, 11,562 as pilot in command, 90 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Wind: 270° at 9 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 57 °F, dew point 28 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: BPI, 1 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20000907014189A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000907014189A), Sep 7, 2000: Cessna 340A, Big Piney, WY, No damage. (-23) During takeoff, two antelope ran in front of the airplane. They collided with the nose wheel area causing damage to the keel beam, also the right prop… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.