- Date
- September 20, 2012, 14:02 local (18:02 UTC)
- Place
- New Haven, CT
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- C-FEMTLearjet 36A
- Defining event
- Takeoff-rejected takeoff: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 85419
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 during the takeoff roll.
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
According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, he noticed two deer on the right side of the runway that were moving into the path of the airplane. He aborted the takeoff and applied maximum braking, but the airplane subsequently struck a deer with the right wing, resulting in substantial damage to the spar. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Airport personnel indicated that deer are not a known problem at the airport and that postaccident discussions between airport personnel and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are underway to install a full airport perimeter fence. In addition, the airport readjusted the agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Management Division in order to improve wildlife hazard mitigation strategies.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during the takeoff roll, he noticed two deer on the right side of the runway that were moving into the path of the airplane. He announced to abort the takeoff and applied maximum braking aborting the takeoff, but the airplane subsequently struck a deer with the right wing resulting in substantial damage to the spar. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Airport personnel indicated that deer are not a known problem at the airport, and that postaccident discussions between airport personnel and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are underway to install a full airport perimeter fence. In addition, the airport readjusted the agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Management Division in order to improve wildlife hazard mitigation strategies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- C-FEMT
- Reported as
- Learjet 36A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 024
- Airframe hours
- 21,086
- Engines
- Honeywell TFE731-2B-2C, 3,500 lbs thrust, turbo fanHoneywell TFE731-2B-2C, 3,500 lbs thrust, turbo fan
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 129
- Operator
- Fox Flight, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Fox Flight, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · July 30, 2012
- Departed
- HVN · New Haven, CT
- Destination
- CYYR · Goose Bay
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- HVN · Tweed-New Haven Airport, runway 20, 5,600 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 9, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,300 total · 3,300 in this make and model · 4,800 as pilot in command · 158 in the last 90 days · 44 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 24, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,928 total · 121 in this make and model · 270 as pilot in command · 121 in the last 90 days · 45 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.17 inHg
- Observed at
- HVN
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 11, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 MB in all.