- Date
- July 24, 2026, 15:50 local (19:50 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeland, FL · In the traffic pattern for RWY 10
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N905KSCessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 1, 2026
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 203578
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 · 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 crew reported that, while in the traffic pattern and turning from base to final, a large bird impacted the leading edge of the left wing, which resulted?in substantial damage to the wing structure. The pilot was able to land safely on the intended runway. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N905KS
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (P)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17276516
- Built
- 1985
- Airframe hours
- 11,646
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- King Sky Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- Zoppe Eduardo
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 13, 2026 · 27 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- LAL · Lakeland Linder Intl, runway 10, 8,500 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Electronic primary flight display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 5, 2026
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,520 total · 1,495 in this make and model · 1,317 as pilot in command · 125 in the last 90 days · 49 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 21, 2026
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 541 total · 290 in this make and model · 455 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- LAL, 2 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KLAL 241950Z 03008KT 10SM FEW060 34/21 A3004=
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 1, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.5 MB in all.