- Date
- May 11, 2013, 12:05 local (16:05 UTC)
- Place
- Loxahatchee, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8390KPiper PA-44-180T
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130511007389A
- Case key
- 86872
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 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
According to the pilot, while at an altitude of 1,700 feet mean sea level, a large bird struck the right horizontal stabilizer, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot declared an emergency, diverted, and landed the airplane without further incident.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, while en route to the destination airport at an altitude of 1,700 feet, a large bird struck the right horizontal stabilizer resulting in substantial damage. The pilot declared an emergency, diverted, and landed the airplane without further incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8390K
- Reported as
- Piper PA-44-180T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 44-8107061
- Airframe hours
- 3,933
- Engines
- Lycoming TO-360SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocatingLycoming LTO-360SER, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- 424 Aviation Inc
- Registered owner
- 424 Aviation Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 25, 2013
- Departed
- TMB · Miami, FL
- Destination
- X58 · Indiantown, FL
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 20, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 16,000 total · 100 in this make and model · 15,000 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Foreign
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 6, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 15 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- BCT
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 23, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 MB 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.
Other investigations on N8390K · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.