- Date
- November 13, 2010, 17:55 local (22:55 UTC)
- Place
- Andover, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N15499Piper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101113055019A
- Case key
- 77877
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
An inadvertent collision with a deer on the runway during a night landing.
Findings · 2
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
According to the pilot, the airplane was on final approach with the runway lights and airplane landing lights illuminated. During the landing flare, he heard a "bang" from the right side of the airplane. As the airplane continued on the landing rollout, the right wing settled onto the ground. The airplane veered to the right and came to rest on the edge of the runway surface. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear was separated, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing spar. The separated right main landing gear was located on the runway adjacent to a dead deer. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to it colliding with the deer.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, he was on final approach to runway 3, and the runway lights and airplane landing lights were illuminated. He initiated the landing flare, and then heard a "bang" from the right side of the airplane. During the landing rollout, the right wing settled onto the ground, the airplane veered to the right, and then came to rest on the edge of the runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right main landing gear was separated, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing spar. The separated right main landing gear was located on the runway adjacent to a dead deer. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane prior to striking the deer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15499
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7325080
- Airframe hours
- 6,543
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 27, 2010
- Departed
- SMQ · Somerset, NJ
- Destination
- 12N · Andover, NJ
- Airport
- 12N · Aeroflex-Andover Airport, runway 03, 1,981 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 4, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 461 total · 417 in this make and model · 299 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- 12N
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 3, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 750 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.