- Date
- March 20, 2001, 11:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Alamosa, CO
- Injuries
- 6 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N9940FCessna 340
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Denver FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010320004779A
- Case key
- 51940
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 in-flight collision with a large bird during downwind approach for landing.
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 he had just passed over the airport at 9500 feet mean sea level and entered the downwind leg for the approach to runway 20. At that moment he encountered a flock of large birds that flew up from below. One bird struck the leading edge of the right wing at approximately 3 feet inboard of the tip tank. The pilot declared an emergency and landed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing's leading edge, skin, wing spar and auxiliary fuel cells. At the time of the accident, winds were light and variable at 3 knots. The bird was identified as an adult sand hill crane.
Factual narrative
On March 20, 2001, at approximately 1115 mountain standard time, a Cessna 340, N9940F, was substantially damaged when it collided with a bird while on approach to San Luis Valley Regional Airport, Alamosa, Colorado. The private pilot and his five passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. An instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for this business flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight departed Cedar City, Utah, at approximately 0730.
According to the pilot's statement, he had just passed over the airport at 9500 feet mean sea level and entered the downwind leg for the approach to runway 20. At that moment he encountered a flock of large birds that flew up from below. One bird struck the leading edge of the right wing at approximately 3 feet inboard of the tip tank. The plot declared an emergency and landed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing's leading edge, skin, wing spar and auxiliary fuel cells. At the time of the accident, winds were light and variable at 3 knots.
The bird that was fatally injured was later identified as an adult sand hill crane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9940F
- Reported as
- Cessna 340
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 340-0173
- Airframe hours
- 5,429.9
- Engine
- Continental TSO 520 NB, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leavitt Enterprises Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2000 · 79.2 hours before
- Departed
- CDC · Cedar City, UT
- Destination
- Alamosa, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- KALS · San Luis Valley Regional, runway 20, 8,800 × 100 ft
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- November 17, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,349 total · 104 in this make and model · 47 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- KALS
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.