- Date
- February 20, 2014, 20:30 local (Feb 21, 2014, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Saluda, SC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N6469WPiper PA 28-140
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report May 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- FAA report
- 20140220004359A
- Case key
- 88970
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 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
The flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot had completed the first leg of a night cross country flight and were departing back to their home airport. During the takeoff roll, a deer ran onto the runway, colliding with the airplane's right wing. The CFI assumed control of the airplane from the student and continued the takeoff, as inadequate runway distance remained to abort. Once airborne, the CFI did not note any flight control abnormalities, and elected to continue to the destination, where he landed the airplane without incident. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the right wing.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot had completed the first leg of a night cross country flight and were departing back to their home airport. During the takeoff roll, a deer ran onto the runway, colliding with the airplane's right wing. The CFI assumed control of the airplane from the student and continued the takeoff, as inadequate runway distance remained to abort. Once airborne, the CFI did not note any flight control abnormalities, and elected to continue to the destination, where he landed the airplane without incident. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the right wing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6469W
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-20542
- Built
- 1964
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Pivotal Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Pivotal Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 4, 2013
- Departed
- 6J4 · Saluda, SC
- Destination
- SPA · Spartanburg, SC
- Airport
- 6J4 · Saluda County, runway 19, 3,189 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 10, 2013
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,659 total · 1,570 in this make and model · 2,601 as pilot in command · 94 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- AIK, 17 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 25, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.