- Date
- June 4, 2023, 14:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Charlotte Amalie, CB · On right downwind for runway 10
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor, 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7037ECessna 402
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: 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
- 20230604003339A
- Case key
- 192322
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 while entering the traffic pattern.
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 operator reported that while entering the traffic pattern for landing, the pilot saw a large bird and attempted to take evasive action, but the airplane and the bird collided. The bird entered the cabin through the right windscreen and struck two passengers. One passenger sustained serious injuries while the other passenger incurred minor injuries. The pilot declared an emergency and subsequently landed the airplane uneventfully. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7037E
- Reported as
- Cessna 402 (C)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 402C0471
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 38,473.2
- Engines
- Continental Motor TSIO520VB, 325 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental Motor TSIO520VB, 325 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 135
- Operator
- Hyannis Air Service Inc, doing business as Cape Air
- Registered owner
- Hyannis Air Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · May 17, 2023 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- TUPJ · Roadtown, OF
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- TIST · Cyril E King Airport, runway 10, 7,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Onboard weather, 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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 5, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,129 total · 266 in this make and model · 1,682 as pilot in command · 170 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.91 inHg
- Observed at
- TIST, 1 nm away
- METAR
- TISX 041853Z 14010KT 10SM FEW021 SCT035 31/26 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP128 T03110256
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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 N7037E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.