- Date
- October 7, 2008, 15:35 local (19:35 UTC)
- Place
- Manchester, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N771CPCessna 182T
- Defining event
- Enroute-climb to cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 69288
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 bird.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight departed Brainard-Hartford Airport and was approximately 5 miles to the northeast at 1,800 feet msl when a large bird was observed on a collision course. The pilot banked left to avoid the bird and continued the climb. As the bird went out of sight, a "loud thump" was heard, and the pilot reported the bird strike to ATC. After returning to the airport, the right wing was inspected and found to have substantial damage. Published airport remarks include the following: "Birds and deer on and in vicinity of the airport."
Factual narrative
The flight departed Brainard-Hartford Airport and was approximately 5 miles to the northeast at 1,800 feet MSL when a large bird was observed on a collision course. The pilot banked left to avoid the bird and continued the climb. As the bird went out of sight, a "loud thump" was heard, and the pilot reported the bird strike to ATC. After returning to the airport, the right wing was inspected and found to have substantial damage. Published airport remarks include the following: "Birds and deer on and in vicinity of the airport."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N771CP
- Reported as
- Cessna 182T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18281781
- Airframe hours
- 561
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AB1A5, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Civil Air Patrol
- Registered owner
- Civil Air Patrol
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KHFD · Hartford, CT
- Destination
- KLWM · Hartford, CT
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- KHFD · Hartford-Brainard
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 10, 2008
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 310 total · 170 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KHFD, 6 nm away