- Date
- January 21, 2005, 06:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Graham, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N832TCCessna 182
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report June 8, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Fort Worth FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050121002629A
- Case key
- 61067
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 airplane's collision with a deer during a go-around. A contributing factor was the prevailing night condition.
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 375-hour private pilot reported that it was still dark outside when he made a visual approach to the runway. As he leveled the airplane to land, he saw three deer crossing the runway directly in front of him and elected to go-around. During the go-around, the left main wheel struck one of the deer. The pilot elected to abort the go-around and landed on the remaining runway and taxied to the ramp. The deer was killed and was found laying on the middle of the runway.
Factual narrative
On January 21, 2005, at 0645 Central Standard Time, a Cessna 182 single engine airplane, N832TC, sustained substantial damage after it collided with a deer during a go-around on Runway 03 at Graham Municipal Airport (RPH), near Graham, Texas. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private corporation. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight that was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. No flight plan was filed for the 87-nautical mile cross country flight that originated from Addison Airport (ADS), Dallas, Texas, about 0600, with Graham, Texas, as its intended destination.
According to the pilot, it was still dark outside when he made a visual approach to Runway 03. As he leveled the airplane to land, he saw three deer crossing the runway directly in front of him and elected to abort the landing. During the go-around, the left main wheel struck one of the deer. The pilot elected to abort the go-around and landed on the remaining runway and taxied to the ramp. The deer was killed and was found laying on the middle of the runway.
The airplane was examined by an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and a certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic on February 28, 2005. According to the inspector, the left main landing gear, including the wheel and gear fairings and attach bracket were damaged, the center and left side floorboards were buckled, and the right elevator was twisted downward. There was also skin damage noted to the left horizontal stabilizer.
The pilot held a private pilot certificate for airplane single-engine land with an instrument rating. He reported a total of 375 flight hours, of which 269 were in the same make and model.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N832TC
- Reported as
- Cessna 182
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18281269
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wyatt E. Pettus
- Registered owner
- Whiskey Papa, LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ADS · Addison, TX
- Destination
- RPH · Graham, TX
- Airport
- RPH · Graham Municipal AIrport, runway 03
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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1
- Flight hours
- 375 total · 269 in this make and model · 60 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- RPH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.