- Date
- November 29, 2023, 16:19 UTC
- Place
- Manassas, VA · HEF Airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N999VCDiamond Aircraft Ind DA 40
- Defining event
- Initial climb: 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
- 20231129016679A
- Case key
- 193508
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 during initial climb.
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 during initial climb, around 700 ft above ground level, a bird impacted the leading edge of the left wing, resulting in substantial damage to the wing. After impacting the bird, the pilot informed air traffic control that he would need to return to the airport, performed a normal traffic pattern, and landed without further incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N999VC
- Reported as
- Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 40.506
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 3,867.6
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-M1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Piston2Jet
- Registered owner
- Diamond Aircraft Sales Of Kentucky LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 13, 2023 · 4.9 hours before
- Departed
- HEF · Manassas, VA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- HEF · Manassas Regional Airport
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Angle of attack indicator, Electronic multifunction display, Handheld GPS, Onboard weather, Satellite tracking device, 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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 24, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 132.3 total · 13.3 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- HEF
- METAR
- KHEF 291556Z 21011KT 10SM CLR 02/M12 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP239 T00171122 FZRANO
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.0 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.