- Date
- February 5, 2024, 23:28 UTC
- Place
- Smyrna, TN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2150GCessna 172
- 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
- 20240205000659A
- Case key
- 193751
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 · 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 reported that during the initial climb, he observed a bird dive down from above the airplane. The bird impacted the top portion of the windshield, resulting in substantial damage to the windshield. After the impact, the pilots checked themselves for injuries and for any control issues with the airplane. Both pilots were uninjured, and the airplane operated normally. The flight instructor landed the airplane without further incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2150G
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9516
- Built
- 2003
- Airframe hours
- 12,352.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Msb Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Msb Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 8, 2024 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- M56 · Lebanon, TN
- Destination
- MQY · Smyrna, TN
- Airport
- MQY · Smyrna
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 30, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 262 total · 256 in this make and model · 202 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 29
- 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
- January 8, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,226 total · 1,060 in this make and model · 1,140 as pilot in command · 156 in the last 90 days · 52 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.94 inHg
- Observed at
- MQY, 25 nm away
- METAR
- KMQY 052356Z 35009KT 10SM CLR 12/00 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP147 T01220000 10178 20122 53025
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.