- Date
- July 11, 2023, 13:39 local (17:39 UTC)
- Place
- Gray, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N271MGPiper PA-28
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: 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
- 20230711018869A
- Case key
- 192690
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.
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 reported that about 12 miles from the airport of departure, while returning after a local flight, he observed a large bird on his right side. He attempted to avoid the bird but was unsuccessful and the bird impacted the leading edge of the right wing. The pilot returned to the airport of departure and landed safely. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the right wing was substantially damaged. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N271MG
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28 (181)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2881453
- Built
- 2021
- Airframe hours
- 1,785
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Middle Georgia State University
- Registered owner
- Georgia Aviation Authority
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 27, 2023 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- MAC · Macon, GA
- Airport
- N/A · N/A
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, 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
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 7, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 194 total · 91 in this make and model · 142 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- MCN, 20 nm away
- METAR
- KMCN 111753Z VRB03KT 10SM FEW070 SCT085 33/21 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP158 T03280211 10328 20228 58006
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 31, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.