- Date
- May 30, 2024, 20:30 local (May 31, 2024, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fayetteville, TN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8536GCessna 150
- 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
- 20240530006039A
- Case key
- 194354
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
A collision with a deer during the takeoff roll.
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 the purpose of the flight was to practice maneuvers, including several takeoffs and landings at night. The student pilot had executed a full stop landing and taxied back to the active runway for another takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the flight instructor saw three deer run onto the runway as the airplane approached rotation speed. He quickly took control, announcing "my flight controls," and aborted the takeoff by pulling the throttle to idle and applying maximum braking. Despite these efforts, the airplane collided with one of the deer, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane's horizontal stabilizer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8536G
- Reported as
- Cessna 150 (F)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15062636
- Airframe hours
- 3,602
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 18, 2024 · 17 hours before
- Destination
- THA · Tullahoma, TN
- Airport
- FYM · Fayetteville Muni, runway 02, 5,900 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B
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
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 14, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 556 total · 75 in this make and model · 498 as pilot in command · 145 in the last 90 days · 69 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6 total · 6 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 30° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.11 inHg
- Observed at
- FYM
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 30, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 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.