- Date
- November 10, 2025, 09:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Lynchburg, VA · 5mi south of LYH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N708LUCessna 172
- Defining event
- Enroute: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 2026
- 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
- 20251110017959A
- Case key
- 201983
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.
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 during a training flight, while returning to the airport at 2,500 ft mean sea level, he observed a large bird directly in front of the airplane. The pilot receiving instruction, reported that he too had the bird in sight and initiated a left turn to avoid a head-on collision. The bird subsequently struck the right wing, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. Following the bird strike, the flight instructor assumed control of the airplane and landed uneventfully.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N708LU
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (S)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172S11474
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 5,806
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-L2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Liberty University
- Registered owner
- Liberty University
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 22, 2025
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- LYH · Lynchburg Rgnl/Preston Glenn Fld, runway 04, 7,100 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, 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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 13, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 854 total · 825 in this make and model · 751 as pilot in command · 104 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Unknown
- Last flight review
- August 15, 2025
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 196 total · 192 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 7 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.82 inHg
- Turbulence
- Light
- Observed at
- KLYH, 5 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KLYH 101854Z 28009G22KT 250V320 10SM CLR 07/M07 A2982
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.