- Date
- June 9, 2016, 16:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lincoln Park, NJ
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N31396Piper PA 32
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Landing gear collapse
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 5, 2016
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160609009279A
- Case key
- 93381
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 struck a deer during the landing flare resulting in substantial damage.
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 in command (PIC) reported that he executed a normal approach, following an instrument proficiency check. He reported that during the landing flare the flight instructor, "grabbed the yoke and pulled up," and he heard a loud thump. The PIC reported that he thought the flight instructor was performing a go around, however the flight instructor said, "we hit a deer and must not go around." The airplane settled to the runway, the right wing "dipped onto the ground" and slid to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right main landing gear attachment point. The PIC reported that he exited the airplane and saw the right main landing gear and the deer on the runway near the intended touchdown point. The pilots reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with any portion of the airplane prior to striking the deer.
Factual narrative
The pilot in command (PIC) reported that he executed a normal approach, following an instrument proficiency check. He reported that during the landing flare the flight instructor, "grabbed the yoke and pulled up," and he heard a loud thump. The PIC reported that he thought the flight instructor was performing a go around, however the flight instructor said, "we hit a deer and must not go around." The airplane settled to the runway, the right wing "dipped onto the ground" and slid to a stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right main landing gear attachment point. The PIC reported that he exited the airplane and saw the right main landing gear and the deer on the runway near the intended touchdown point. The pilots reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with any portion of the airplane prior to striking the deer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31396
- Reported as
- Piper PA 32 (300)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7840129
- Built
- 1978
- Airframe hours
- 4,439
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 5, 2015
- Departed
- MJX · Toms River, NJ
- Destination
- N07 · Lincoln Park, NJ
- Airport
- N07 · Lincoln Park, runway 01, 2,942 × 40 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Auto-pilot, 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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 25, 2015
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,497 total · 1,870 in this make and model · 2,497 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Check pilot
- Age
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 18, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 4,920 total · 20 in this make and model · 4,795 as pilot in command · 202 in the last 90 days · 68 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 14 knots, gusting 25
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KCDW, 5 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 6, 2016, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.