- Date
- September 29, 2025, 19:05 local (23:05 UTC)
- Place
- Punxsutawney, PA · KN35 - Runway 6
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N6703ACessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Wildlife encounter (non-bird)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2025
- 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
- 20250929016159A
- Case key
- 201771
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
The airplane’s collision with a deer on a runway during landing 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
Immediately after touchdown on the runway, the pilot noticed a large deer running in his peripheral vision. The deer contacted the left side of the airplane, which pushed it abruptly toward the left. The pilot steered the airplane to prevent a runway excursion, exited the runway, and parked the airplane. The pilot was unable to exit the pilot’s (left) side door, due to damage preventing it from opening. He exited from the right-side door without issue. The pilot was uninjured. The airplane’s left wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6703A
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28803
- Built
- 1956
- Airframe hours
- 2,143.2
- Engine
- Continental O-300B, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 15, 2024
- Departed
- N35 · Punxsutawney, PA
- Airport
- N35 · Punxsutawney Muni, runway 06, 3,003 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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
- 74
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 9, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 389.2 total · 347.5 in this make and model · 297.7 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.16 inHg
- Observed at
- KDUJ, 13 nm away
- METAR
- KDUJ 282253Z AUTO 32004KT 10SM CLR 23/13 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP207 T02330133
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 4, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 49.3 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.