- Date
- October 14, 2013, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Christmas, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N65704Cessna 172P
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- FAA report
- 20131014020799I
- Case key
- 88210
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 inflight collision 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 stated that, while in cruise flight at an altitude of 2,500 feet, he observed two large birds directly ahead of the airplane. He assumed control of the airplane from the student pilot and attempted to maneuver around them, but one of the birds impacted the left wing, resulting in substantial damage. After observing no flight control anomalies, the flight instructor elected to continue to the destination airport, where he landed the airplane without incident.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor stated that, while in cruise flight at an altitude of 2,500 feet, he observed two large birds directly ahead of the airplane. He assumed control of the airplane from the student pilot and attempted to maneuver around them, but one of the birds impacted the left wing, resulting in substantial damage. After observing no flight control anomalies, the flight instructor elected to continue to the destination airport, where he landed the airplane without incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N65704
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17275824
- Built
- 1982
- Airframe hours
- 20,270
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Aerosim Academy Inc
- Registered owner
- Aerosim Academy Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 8, 2013
- Departed
- COI · Merritt Island, FL
- Destination
- SFB · Sanford, 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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 19, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,036 total · 249 in this make and model · 711 as pilot in command · 305 in the last 90 days · 79 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 207 total · 140 in this make and model · 122 as pilot in command · 112 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Turbulence
- Unknown
- Observed at
- TIX, 11 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 27, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.2 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.