- Date
- March 12, 2012, 18:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- New Smyrna, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N915ERDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 42
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 15, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20120312003059A
- Case key
- 83170
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 encounter with a bird during cruise flight.
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 instructor and the student pilot were in cruise flight at 1,600 feet above the ground, preparing to land after an instructional flight, when they noticed three buzzards that were ahead, below, and to the right of their airplane and climbing. The pilots entered a climbing left turn and successfully avoided two of the birds; however, the remaining bird suddenly changed direction and impacted the right wing, resulting in substantial damage to its composite structure. After advising air traffic controllers of the encounter, the pilots landed the airplane uneventfully at a nearby airport.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor and the student pilot began preparing for arrival at the destination airport at the conclusion of an instructional flight. While cruising at an altitude of 1,600 feet, they turned the airplane north, and noticed three buzzards that were ahead, below, and to the right of their airplane and climbing. The pilots disconnected the autopilot and entered a climbing left turn in an attempt to avoid the group of birds. After avoiding two of the birds, the remaining bird suddenly changed direction and impacted the right wing, resulting in substantial damage to its composite structure. After advising air traffic control of the encounter, the pilots landed the airplane uneventfully at a nearby airport.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N915ER
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 42
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 42.AC150
- Airframe hours
- 1,352
- Engines
- Lycoming IO-360-MIA+, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming IO-360-MIA+, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- Registered owner
- Avn Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 15, 2012
- Departed
- EVB · New Smyrna, FL
- Destination
- DAB · Daytona Beach, FL
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 21, 2011
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 500 in this make and model · 2,850 as pilot in command · 126 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 161 total · 60 in this make and model · 10 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB, 14 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 10, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 770 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.