- Date
- July 14, 2023, 21:50 local (Jul 15, 2023, 01:50 UTC)
- Place
- Culpeper, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N1809HPiper PA-28-181
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- 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
- 20230714009949A
- Case key
- 193055
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 deer while performing a takeoff at night.
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 flight instructor and student pilot completed several night landings without anomaly. Then, during the next takeoff, the student pilot applied engine power and the airplane accelerated down the runway. Just after reaching 50 knots, they noticed two deer standing in the center of the runway and called to abort the takeoff. They reduced the engine power and applied the brakes, but they were unable to stop before striking one of the deer with the left wing, which resulted in substantial damaged to the wing. The flight instructor reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1809H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7790314
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 7,911
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Piston2Jet LLC
- Registered owner
- Aviation Consulting Expertise LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- HEF · Manassas, VA
- Destination
- HEF · Manassas, VA
- Airport
- CJR · Culpeper Rgnl, runway 22, 5,000 × 100 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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,151 total · 995 as pilot in command · 215 in the last 90 days · 81 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 30 total · 26 in this make and model · 1 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KCJR
- METAR
- KCJR 230135Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 22/17 A2990 RMK AO2 T02190165
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 21, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 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.