- Date
- August 25, 2014, 19:15 local (23:15 UTC)
- Place
- Luray, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N436DCCessna 140
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 9, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140825017529A
- Case key
- 89984
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
A loss of control and subsequent runway excursion while attempting to avoid a collision with a deer on takeoff.
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 pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane was attempting to depart from the runway when a deer suddenly began approaching the runway from the left. He attempted to steer the airplane left to avoid the deer as it crossed, and in the process, the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The pilot was unable to stop the airplane as it rolled and struck an embankment and collapsed the main landing gear, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped airplane was attempting to depart from the runway when a deer suddenly began approaching the runway from the left. He attempted to steer the airplane left to avoid the deer as it crossed, and in the process, the airplane departed the left side of the runway. The pilot was unable to stop the airplane as it rolled and struck an embankment and collapsed the main landing gear, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N436DC
- Reported as
- Cessna 140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8807
- Built
- 1956
- Airframe hours
- 544
- Engine
- Continental Motors O-200A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Heinz Kenneth P
- Registered owner
- Heinz Kenneth P
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 31, 2014
- Departed
- LUA · Luray, VA
- Destination
- LUA · Luray, VA
- Airport
- LUA · Luray Caverns, runway 04, 3,125 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 7,154 total · 7,154 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 9.5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- KLUA
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 30, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.2 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.