- Date
- October 24, 2024, 13:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Sebring, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N50068Cirrus Design SR20
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: 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
- 20241024015139A
- Case key
- 195391
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 birdstrike during descent to the destination airport.
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 descent from 3,500 ft to traffic pattern altitude of his destination airport, the airplane impacted a bird at an altitude about 1,900 ft above ground level. The pilot continued to the destination airport and landed uneventfully. The airplane’s right wing was substantially damaged during the collision.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N50068
- Reported as
- Cirrus Design SR20 (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2723
- Built
- 2021
- Airframe hours
- 1,618
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-390-C3B6, 215 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- PRP Aviation
- Registered owner
- Ocala Aircraft Management LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 21, 2024
- Departed
- OCF · Ocala, FL
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Data recorder, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, Airframe parachute, ADS-B, Video recording device, Stall warning system, Onboard weather
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
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 11, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 162 total · 61 in this make and model · 73 as pilot in command · 82 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- SEF, 6 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KSEF 241735Z AUTO 05006KT 10SM SCT042 SCT047 28/19 A3002 RMK AO2 T02830189=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 21, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.