- Date
- March 1, 2024, 08:14 local (13:14 UTC)
- Place
- Leesburg, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1057RCessna 172
- 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
- Case key
- 193915
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 on the downwind leg of the airport 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 flight instructor reported that while on the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern during a training flight he saw two birds in close proximity. While the student continued on the downwind leg, the flight instructor observed a black shadow in his peripheral vision and then heard a “thump.” The flight instructor informed the student of the bird strike, and with a positive exchange, took control of the airplane. He performed a normal no-flap landing and then taxied to the ramp. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the right wing had been substantially damaged.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1057R
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S9814
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 9,883
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Aviation Adventures LLC
- Registered owner
- Anesthesia Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 9, 2024 · 50 hours before
- Airport
- JYO · Leesburg Executive Airport, runway 35, 5,500 × 100 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 18, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 376 total · 274 in this make and model · 313 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 46 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 12 total · 12 in this make and model · 12 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.61 inHg
- Observed at
- KJYO
- METAR
- METAR KJYO 011315Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 01/M05 A3061 RMK AO2=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 31, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 13.9 MB in all.