- Date
- September 2, 2022, 10:35 local (14:35 UTC)
- Place
- Toughkenamon, PA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N78QBPiper PA28R
- Defining event
- Approach: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220902015479A
- Case key
- 105888
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
The airplane’s impact with a bird while entering the traffic pattern.
Findings · 2
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 reported that while entering the traffic pattern after a local flight, a large bird “dived” and struck the middle of the right wing, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing structure. He stated that there was no control difficulty and he was able to land safely on the intended runway. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N78QB
- Reported as
- Piper PA28R (201)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7837308
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 2,635.5
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 14, 2022
- Departed
- N57 · Toughkenamon, PA
- Airport
- N57 · New Garden, runway 6, 3,695 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 30, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 345 total · 155 in this make and model · 300 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- ILG, 12 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KILG 021351Z 07009KT 10SM CLR 23/13 A3025 RMK AO2 SLP242 T02330133=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 14, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.2 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.