- Date
- December 30, 2015, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Worth, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2135BPiper PA 28-161
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Birdstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20151230023769A
- Case key
- 92530
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 inadvertent collision with a bird while on downwind in the airport pattern.
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 while in the left downwind, a bird impacted the right leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer. The flight instructor further reported that he landed without further incident. A post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage to the stabilator. The flight instructor reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that while in the left downwind, a bird impacted the right leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer. The flight instructor further reported that he landed without further incident. A post-accident examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage to the stabilator. The flight instructor reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2135B
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7916110
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 7,483.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 16, 2015
- Departed
- FTW · Fort Worth, TX
- Destination
- FTW · Fort Worth, TX
- Airport
- FTW · Fort Worth Meacham Intl, runway 16, 7,502 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- 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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 22
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 25, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 1,400 as pilot in command · 400 in the last 90 days · 80 in the last 30 days · 1.5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 21 total · 21 in this make and model · 0.4 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 21 in the last 30 days · 0.4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KFTW
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 2, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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.