- Date
- May 22, 2024, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Vero Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6232HPiper PA-28-161
- Defining event
- Landing: 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
- 20240522006439A
- Case key
- 194408
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 approach.
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, while in the airport traffic pattern and turning from the downwind leg to the base leg, a bird impacted the leading edge of the left wing, which resulted?in substantial damage. The pilot receiving instruction continued to fly the approach, and landed on the intended runway without further issue. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6232H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7816240
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 7,590.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Paris Air Inc
- Registered owner
- Paris Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 10, 2024 · 16 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- VRB · Vero Beach Regional Airport, runway 12R, 7,314 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight 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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 13, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 950 total · 700 in this make and model · 760 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 16, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 234 total · 10 in this make and model · 127 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- VRB, 1 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KVRB 221353Z 11007KT 10SM FEW041 28/22 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP166
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 31, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 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.